Passengers of the high-speed train G2963 pose for a photo in Chengdu east railway station in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, July 1, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - China has scaled up investment in railway construction since the beginning of the year, data from the country's railway operator showed Monday.

During the January-November period, the fixed-asset investment in the country's railway sector reached 640.7 billion yuan (about $90 billion), marking a 7.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

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As of the end of November, the total operation mileage of China's railway network exceeded 155,500 km, including 43,700 km of high-speed railways.

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The latest progress in the country's rail infrastructure construction includes the completion and operation of a high-speed railway connecting Jinan, capital city of eastern Shandong province, and Zhengzhou, a transportation hub in the central.

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The company said maintaining the investment at a high level is vital to further improving China's modern rail network and boosting the overall economic and social development.