Progress and challenges of urban rail transit in Mainland China

In order to standardize and instruct the URT development, the central government of China, in September 2003, issued its directive that each city proposing URT project should, based on its general planning and transportation development planning, in accordance with its own development goals and financial situation, prepare the URT construction planning, which should be approved by the State Council after being verified jointly by National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Construction of the People´s Republic of China. Then the feasibility study for the proposed project can be conducted under the construction planning approved for approval to corresponding competent authorities following the capital construction procedure.