China is to finalize the scheme for an early start of the construction of the planned Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway this year, top planner Zeng Peiyan said Wednesday.

Experiments are currently underway to test the technical models for the railway project so that the final decision can be made as early as possible, said Zeng, minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission, at a press conference.

Railway transportation between Beijing and Shanghai has been very busy. The transport capacity of the Beijing-Shanghai railway was improved last year when several new high-quality trains were put into operation.

( Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2002)