On 26 December China’s Ministry of Railways inaugurated the world’s longest high speed rail line which connects Beijing to Guangzhou. The 2,298 km line will be covered at an average line speed of 300 km/h and enable the journey to be completed in a mere eight hours – a sharp reduction from the still-operational old-fashioned track between Beijing and Guangzhou.

Rail investment is set to continue at a steady pace, at a time when China is seeking to revive its growth through investment. China’s Ministry of Railways has reiterated its desire to extend China’s high speed rail network to 50,000 km by 2020. Rail investment in 2013 is expected to exceed 73 billion euros, which was the amount invested in 2012.