Ernst: "In 1900, the total railway mileage in Europe was already close to 300,000 kilometers, slightly less than that of the United States. During our First Five-Year Plan, railway construction in various European countries also progressed rapidly, with Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, and several small European countries further advancing railway transportation construction."
"Therefore, even when the Second Five-Year Plan is completed, our railway will still have a significant gap compared to Europe and America. However, with the rise of road transportation and the rapid development of the automobile industry, some regions can visibly see that separate railway lines are no longer needed for transportation."
