China to Build Out 45,000 km High-Speed Rail Network

(Beijing) – China plans to expand its current high-speed rail system into a network of 16 rail corridors by 2030, under a program that serves the dual purpose of providing better transport services for China's 1.3 billion people while also spending hundreds of billions of dollars to support the economy.

But some analysts are questioning the ambitious plan, saying it lacks solid financial foundation and could ultimately saddle the network's operator with huge amounts of debt that it can't repay.