China is planning to expand its high-speed railway system to 17 countries, including Russia, Iran and Turkey. “Negotiations are going on with the respective countries and construction should be finished in 2025,” Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was quoted as saying by Interfax.
“Agreements with Russia and several other counties have already been reached,” he added.
The Southeast Asia network will run south from Kunming through Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia on the way to Singapore and west across to Myanmar and India.
The western network would go from Urumqi through Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and could continue through Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to Germany.
The third leg would start from Heilongjiang, go across Mongolia and Russia and head west across Siberia on the way to Europe.
In Central Asia the railway is planned to go from Sintszian to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey and the final point will be Germany.
In Southeastern Asia the railway will go through Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and will come to Singapore.
Through Russian territory the railway will go to Western Europe.
