China’s State Council has approved US$292.2 billion in spending to expand the country’s rail network, state media reported. The money is for mid-term and long-term projects that were planned four years ago, the Ministry of Railways said. By 2010, China is expected to have 100,000km of rail lines, with another 20,000km to be added in the following 10 years. At of the end of last year, China’s rail system spanned 78,000km.