South China's high-speed rail to hit 5,000 km by 2012

China will complete construction of its 5,000 kilometer high-speed rail network in the south of the country by 2012, state media reported, citing a senior official. Between 2012 and 2015, a further 5,000 kilometers of high-speed rail will be completed, said Vice Minister of Rail Lu Dongfu. The rail system will connect eight southern provinces around the Pearl River Delta region. Lu said rail plays a prominent role in the region’s economic growth.The pan-Pearl River Delta region covers Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, as well as Macau and Hong Kong.