Hordes of companies from home and abroad are expected to flood China's transportation sector in the coming years, said officials at the Second China Railway and Urban Transport Exhibition (ChinaRail 2001) on Wednesday.

Drawn by the lure of China's pending accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, investors are expected to target the rail industry in particular.

According to the news release from ChinaRail 2001, China will construct 6,000 and realize 5,000 kilometres of electric railways during the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05).

Another 450 kilometres of urban rails in more than 10 cities are expected to be completed by 2005, bringing the total operation mileage of railways in China to 80,000 kilometres by 2015, according to the news releas.

The achievements of China's rail transport construction in the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000) have captured world attention, said Zhang Kui-fu, secretary-general of the China Urban Public Transport Association, at the opening ceremony on Wdenesday.

(China Daily 09/27/2001)