Inner Mongolia autonomous region will start construction or upgrading five railways in 2020, according to information from the third session of the 13th Political Consultative Conference of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, held in capital city of Hohhot on Jan 13.

Zheng Jun, chairman of Inner Mongolia Communications Investment Co Ltd, said the planned railways included the Jining-Datong-Yuanping High-speed Railway.

On completion, the central and western regions of Inner Mongolia will have direct access to the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Southwest China region through Taiyuan city in Shanxi province and Zhengzhou in Henan province.

Among the railways is a high-speed railway linking Baotou in Inner Mongolia to Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Officials said the high-speed railway will comprise the Baotou-Huinong High-speed Railway and the Bayanhot-Yinchuan expressway railway.

After its completion, the high-speed railways in the central and western banners and cities in Inner Mongolia will be connected and also linked to the national high-speed rail network.

An express railway linking Xilinhot in Inner Mongolia to Taizicheng in Hebei province will also be constructed, which will provide a fast channel connecting Xilin Gol League to Beijing and Zhangjiakou city in Hebei.

In addition, Inner Mongolia will conduct electrification upgrading of the Jining-Tongliao railway. When put into use, it will form a fast passenger corridor in the eastern and central regions of Inner Mongolia.

To date, four out of the five railways funded by Inner Mongolia Communications Investment Co Ltd have started operating, added Zheng Jun, chairman of Inner Mongolia Communications Investment.

The work includes the newly-opened Hohhot-Zhangjiakou High-speed Railway, the  Hohhot-Jungar-Ordos Express Railway opened in 2017 and the Ulanhot-Baocheng-Changchun Express Railway opened on Jan 22, 2017.

It also includes a railway linking Chifeng city in Inner Mongolia to the Beijing-Shenyang High-speed Railway, which is scheduled to start operating by the end of July, 2020.

Zheng also said that his company would participate in and push forward with the construction of the high-speed railways linking Baotou to Yulin, Qiqihar to Hailar and Manzhou, as well as Qiqihar to Ulanhot and Tongliao during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

It will conduct electrification upgrading of railways linking Jining to Erenhot, Ulanhot to Arxan and Arxan to Hailar.

The company aims to build a rapid railway network in Inner Mongolia to meet the needs for convenient travel of the people in the region.