Goals include 'rejuvenating' western China and country's economy, transportation official says

In the next five years, China will invest 3.5 trillion yuan ($503 billion) to accelerate railway construction, including expansion of the country's high-speed rail network to 30,000 kilometers, a senior official said on Thursday.

"By 2020, more than 80 percent of China's major cities will be connected by high-speed railways," said Yang Yudong, vice-minister of transportation.