In the first half of 2009, China's railway transportation and operation situation gradually improved. In June, China's total railway freight volume reached 273.55 million tons, essentially even with that of the same period in 2008. On average, daily incremental freight volume stood at 100,000 tons, an increase of 1.1 percent year-on-year. Freight and passenger transportation indices, as barometers of the national economy, have stabilized and are recovering.

Though affected by the financial crisis, due to a series of timely and effective transportation measures, freight volume indices for major products are improving.

Coal freight volume is beginning to recover steadily. Since October 2008, coal freight volume has dropped significantly, with a decline rate of over 10 percent. Petroleum freight volume is recovering rapidly. After hitting the lowest point in November 2008, petroleum freight volume has gradually recovered since February 2009. In the first half, China's petroleum freight volume was essentially even with that of the same period in 2008.

Since the beginning of 2009, the freight volume of metallurgical materials has maintained a high level, and was essentially even with that of the same period of 2008. The freight volumes of both construction materials and cement have increased significantly. With the support of China's macroeconomic stimulus policies, freight demand in the construction industry is relatively stable, and freight volume is similar to that of the same period in 2008. These two materials' year-on-year freight volume growth rates reached 15.1 percent and 5.6 percent respectively.

In terms of passenger transportation, 742 million passengers were transported by railway in the first half of 2009, up 5.2 percent year-on-year. In June, passenger numbers recorded by 13 railway bureaus increased year-on-year, of these, the growth rate recorded by Huhhot, Kunming, Lanzhou, Urumchi and Qinghai-Tibet railway bureaus exceeded 10 percent.

In terms of investment in infrastructure, 201.46 billion yuan was invested in China's railway infrastructure in the first half of 2009, up 155.1 percent year-on-year. China constructed 2739.7 kilometers of new railway lines and 2435.9 kilometers of double-track railway lines. 1681.2 kilometers of electric railway lines were constructed and a batch of passenger-only railway lines entered the final construction phase. In addition, 5.35 billion yuan was invested in upgrading and reconstructing China's railways, of which 4.49 billion yuan was invested in upgrading transportation equipment, up 2.1 percent year-on-year.

By People's Daily Online