China's transportation sector made significant strides in 2024, expanding railways, high-speed rail, highways and airports to improve connectivity and drive economic growth, according to the Ministry of Transport's annual conference which was held in Beijing on Monday.

The country's fixed-asset investment in transportation is expected to reach approximately 3.8 trillion yuan ($521 billion) by the end of the year, maintaining a high investment pace.

Rail infrastructure continues to grow, with operational railway mileage exceeding 160,000 kilometers, including over 46,000 km of high-speed rail.

Nearly 50,000 km of new highways were added, along with more than 8,000 km of newly built or upgraded expressways.

The civil aviation sector also saw growth, with five new airports opening this year.

Passenger and freight volumes have kept pace with the economy. Cross-regional passenger flow is expected to reach a total of 64.5 billion trips, a 5.2 percent increase, while freight volume is projected to reach 56.5 billion tons, up 3.5 percent.

Furthermore, the port cargo throughput is expected to reach approximately 17.5 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of around 3.4 percent, with domestic and foreign trade cargo throughput growing by approximately 1.9 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Key infrastructure projects include the completion of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan cross-sea link and the Huangmao cross-sea bridge, as well as the opening of new high-speed rail lines like Chizhou-Huangshan and the trial operation of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou line.

The ministry also reported progress in rural transportation, with 160,000 km of rural roads newly built or renovated, and 250,000 km under maintenance.

To enhance service quality, the ministry rolled out initiatives to reduce logistics costs, improving efficiency across all modes of transport. The number of rail-water container transport reached 11.5 million TEUs, increasing 15 percent year-on-year.

The railway network set a new daily passenger volume record of over 21.45 million trips, while civil aviation carried more than 700 million passenger trips in 2024, also a new record.

In line with its green development goals, China ramped up efforts to reduce carbon emissions, replacing 200 diesel-powered railway locomotives with electric models and scrapping 80,000 outdated heavy-duty diesel trucks.

Over 2,000 aging vessels were retired and more than 12,000 electric vehicle charging stations were added along highways — an increase of 57.6 percent year-on-year.

Technological innovation has driven the sector's transformation, with smart terminals, advanced aircraft like the C919 and C909, and nearly 2.7 million parcels delivered by drones in 2024.

Safety improvements were also a major focus, with over 100,000 km of road safety upgrades and more than 7,000 dangerous bridges renovated.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Ministry of Transport outlined a focus on high-quality development, including expanding the integrated national transportation network and enhancing international logistics. Key projects will include major expressways and high-speed rail lines, as well as improving cross-border logistics through initiatives like the China-Europe land-sea express train routes.

With ambitious plans for the year ahead, China is positioning its transportation sector as a key driver of economic growth, technological innovation and sustainable development, with far-reaching impacts on both domestic and global trade.