The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan of US$500 million for China's east-west railway project, which includes 377km of electrified single-track railway between Yichang in Hubei Province and Wanzhou in Chongqing Municipality.
Some 24 new stations will be opened along the route and two existing ones expanded. The railway will provide the fastest land link between Shanghai in the east and Chengdu and Chongqing in the west.
The total cost of the project is expected to be US$2.36 billion and work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009.