China's railway fixed-asset investment hits 561 bln yuan in first three quarters

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China's fixed-asset investment in railway reached 561.2 billion yuan (about 79.42 billion U.S. dollars) during the first three quarters of 2024, marking a year-on-year growth of 10.3 percent, and offering solid support for the country's further economic recovery and growth, according to China's railway operator on Saturday.

Since the beginning of the year, the China State Railway Group has made full use of financial support policies for infrastructure investment, accelerating the construction of a modern railway infrastructure system. By the end of the third quarter, 1,820 kilometers of new railway lines had been completed, including 1,210 kilometers of high-speed rail.

Several new railway lines have already begun operation, including the Meizhou West-Longchuan West section of the Longyan-Longchuan high-speed railway and the Chongqing West-Yibin East section of the Chongqing-Kunming high-speed railway.

Key railway projects, such as the Hefei-Wuhan section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway, Pingliang-Qingyang railway in northwest China's Gansu Province, Zhangzhou-Shantou railway, Wenshan-Mengzi railway in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Nanjing North Railway Station, and the Wuping-Meizhou West section of the Longyan-Longchuan high-speed railway, have commenced construction.

Meanwhile, progress has continued on important railway construction projects, including the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway, the Chongqing East-Qianjiang section of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, and the middle line of Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway.

Looking ahead, the state railway operator plans to prioritize the opening and operation of additional railway projects, such as the Jingmen-Jingzhou high-speed railway in central China's Hubei Province, the Weifang-Yantai high-speed railway in east China's Shandong Province, the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway in east China, to ensure high-quality completion of this year's railway construction targets.

China's railway fixed-asset investment hits 561 bln yuan in first three quarters

Russia claimed on Saturday its forces had launched widespread attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported repulsing the Russian assault amid the ongoing fierce frontline battles.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces had conducted strikes on effective enemy forces, armament storage locations and energy facilities of Ukrainian military entities over the past day.

The ministry also said that its forces has continued to crack down on Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region of Russia.

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Saturday that their troops had fought 94 battles with Russian forces in frontline regions in eastern Ukraine by Saturday afternoon, with the fiercest battles occurring in the direction of Kurakhovo.

The Ukrainian side also said that its army was holding its ground and pushing back against the Russian offensive.

Russia strikes Ukraine's energy facilities, Ukraine repels Russian offensive