Passengers wait for a high speed train on the Shanghai to Beijing high speed rail line at Suzhou's North Railway Station. Photo: iStock
Passengers wait for a high speed train on the Shanghai to Beijing high speed rail line at Suzhou's North Railway Station. Photo: iStock

The National Development and Reform Commission released the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for the Chinese Railway, with the aim of operating  a 30,000-kilometer high-speed railway by 2020, China News Service reported.

When completed, the high-speed rail network will cover 80% of major cities in China.

The total railroad system, including high-speed rail, will reach 150,000 kilometres, basically covering all the cities with an urban residential population over 200,000, the report said.

Bullet trains will carry 65% of all total passengers. It will also retain the trip between Beijing and major capital cities within two to eight hours, and keep large and medium cities within a one-to-four-hour trip.

In addition, 80% of the ticket will be available for sale online, the report said.