China is home to the largest high-speed rail network in the world. Besides speeding up commuting times, these high-tech trains are also fast-forwarding China's economy. The rail network is something of a modern-day Silk Road, opening up trade opportunities between China and the rest of the world.

The Chinese have a saying, if you want to build your wealth, you have to build roads first. But the conventional transport system can barely keep up with China's growing demand. And now, more efficient and environmentally friendly methods of transportation are urgently needed. That's why the high-speed railway has come at such a crucial time.

Faster than a speeding bullet, the quick running time of these trains doesn't just mean a shorter journey, but a higher turnover of passengers.

High-speed railways have provided much-needed relief for conventional train services and other means of transport, especially during peak seasons. The Ministry of Railway says China's rail passenger traffic from January to September this year, rose 9.2 percent year on year to 1.28 billion. And that's largely due to the expansion of China's high-speed rail network.

He Huawu, Chief Engineer of Ministry of Railway said "China has become a strong nation in high-speed railways, with the world's most complete high-speed rail system technology, strongest integration capability and longest operating mileage."

China's high-speed railway development hasn't gone unnoticed around the world. Anold Schwarzanegger, the governor of California, was impressed when he took the high-speed train during his visit to Shanghai. Countries like the U.S., India and Thailand have all expressed hope China can share its knowledge, in high-speed railway construction projects in their countries.

And there's no stop in sight. China plans to build a further 13,000 kilometers of high-speed railway by 2012. That's more railway than the rest of the world combined. Large-scale investments in high-speed rail projects, involving a long chain of industries, are also boosting the national economy in uncertain economic times.

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