Vice-Premier Ma Kai has called for more efforts to ensure that the tasks for national railway construction in 2017 are done, during a working conference on Feb 23.

Ma said a total of 801.5 billion yuan was pumped into the sector, and 3,281 km of railway lines started carrying passengers and goods, including the Shanghai-Kunming (or Hukun) and Kunming-Nanning (Yungui) lines, in 2016.

He spoke highly of the significant contribution made by China’s high-speed rail network, which both promoted economic and social development while improving people’s well-being.

Speaking about railway construction work in 2017, Ma stressed greater efforts should be made in reforming the railway’s financing and investment system, pushing forward multiple channels of fund-raising.

Enhanced cooperation among China Railway, local governments and social investors was also underlined to achieve sustainable development and win-win results in this year’s railway construction.

Ma stressed that the rail industry should promote supply-side reform to ensure returns on investments while giving priority to enhance supervision on the quality and safety of construction projects.