Domestic market

Industry insiders say both of the train makers are likely to increase their production capacity in the coming years, not only to meet demand from foreign countries but also from the domestic market.

CNR recently announced it had entered into five contracts in the Chinese market that have a total value of 6.8 billion yuan.

As for CSR, five of the six new orders it recently signed came from domestic customers. Those have a value of 4.39 billion yuan.

Attempting to meet its annual investment goals, the Ministry of Railways has been putting more money into fixed railway assets in the past two months.

China's investments in fixed railway assets have included the purchase of transportation equipment. No more than 700 billion yuan will go into railway construction in 2013, slightly more than was used for that purpose this year, Chinese media have reported.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the value of investments into fixed railway assets this year is 630 billion yuan, of which about 516 billion yuan went to the construction of railway infrastructure.

baochang@chinadaily.com.cn