China's railways will be using e-commerce by the end of 2005, Wang Linshu, chief engineer of the Chinese Ministry of Railways, said Thursday in Beijing.

Wang said at a forum on "Railway Development Strategy" that setting up an e-commerce service is an important step for Chinese railways to meet international standards and it will enhance its competitiveness.

In the next three years, he added, China will set up a platform combining ticketing and distributing, to improve its competitiveness in freight transport.

With the further opening up of the Chinese railway market, many foreign-funded freight businesses have entered it and are using advanced marketing and management methods, Wang noted. In the meantime, there is an increasing demand for freight transport in China, as China's entry to the World Trade Organization has brought more opportunities for foreign trade.

It is estimated that from 2001 to 2005, passenger and freight transport in China will have an annual increase of 7.2 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, and in 2005, China's railways will carry 21 billion people and 16.5 billion tons of cargo.

Subsystems, including bills of lading, departure reports and marketing plans, are already being used in China, with more than 700 railway stations selling tickets through computer networks.

( People's Daily June 14, 2002)