3
Sucms to have fallen into abeyance.
514
The construction of a lino northwards from Canton toverds the boundary between the Kuang-tung and Hunan provinces, to form eventually the southern section of the Canton-Hankov Railway, was commenced by an American Syndicate in January, 190.. This syndicate abandoned the enterprise on receiving compensat- ion to the amount of $6,750,000 gold. Thereafter, tho construction of this section was undertaken by the Kuang-tung Mercantile Administration of the Yüch-Han (i.c. Centon-Hankow) Railway, a Chinese company with a nominal capital of $40,000,000 Mox. of which only a portion has boon paid up. Botwoon the your 1909 and 1911 the line was completed and opened to traffic from Canton pass Ying-tak to Shiu-kwan, a distance of 140 miles: but, oving to lack of funds, not a single mile of track has been addur north-wards since then, Meanwhile, of the Hupch-Hunan section of this trunk line, the Chinese company constructed 33 milos fron Cheng-sha to Chuchow and opened them to traffic in September, 1911. A further length of about ton miles from Chuchow to Luko: was begun in Septomber, 1912; but it was announced in March, 10K that the whole enterprise had been taken over by the Chinese Government pursuant to a policy of nationalization.
Constructio..
by the Chinese Government of the line from Wuchang (Hankow) soun ward to Changsha, a distance of 280 miles, began in 1914, being financed by the Hukwang Railway Loan, and this portion was open. to traffic in September, 1918. The total length of the project. railway between Canton and Hankov is approximately 700 miles: an aв about 320 miles of the northern section 140 miles of the southern section have been completed, there still romain sonu 240 miles to be built in the central and mountainous section, where numerous tunnels will be necessary. All construction work has, however, boon suspended for several years.
The immediate advantages of connecting the 112 miles of railway from Kowloon to Canton with the 140 miles of railway from Canton to Shiukwan would be those1-
(1)
Thore would be considerable suburban traffic from
Tai-Bha-Tal.