The significance and technical-economic benefits of developing railway electrification in China

According to China´s conditions, the railway network is a main-stay backbone in all kinds of traffic systems. Statistics suggest that passenger and freight turnover fulfilled by railways in 1987 accounted for 56.1% and 71.8% respectively of the total turnover (not including oceangoing transportation) of traffic systems. By the end of 1987, the mainland state-owned railway system was operating a route kilometerage amounting to 52600 km, which is about 30600 km more than that in 1949. Confronted with these conditions, through 20 years of exploration and operating practice and taking into account the energy resource structure in China, railway electrification has been affirmed as the main effective way to reform Chinese railway transportation and to accomplish its modernization