(Yicai Global) Aug. 28 -- China Railway and Shaanxi Provincial People's Government have approved a 15-year railway hub construction plan for Xian, the province's capital, marking an important step as the city looks to become a National Central City and the leading region in northwest China.

The proposal includes the construction of eight high-speed railroads connecting Xian with Zhengzhou, Lanzhou, Baotou, Chongqing, Datong, Yinchuan, Chengdu and Wuhan. The rail network will accelerate the development of the Guanzhong Plain City Cluster, which centered in Xian, and further acquire funds, talent and other resources.

The high-speed lines are set to be completed by 2020. After which, the city will look to build a circle network for commuters, an intercity network reaching other provincial capitals within three hours and a further network extending to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta with travel times between four and six hours.