A driver prepares to depart Chongqing North Railway Station on the Chongqing-Wanzhou high-speed line in November.Liu Chan / Xinhua

Yu, from Roland Berger, urged continuous development of the network: "The country's top planners must ensure that the work (planned in 2008) is mostly done, and then release a new plan."

China will continue to expand the rail network in the future, according to Yu. "In the more economically developed regions, such as the eastern and southern coastal areas, we have already seen the high-speed rail industry transformed into a powerful economic driving force. But in less-developed areas, such as central and western regions, it will take time to see the (financial) returns from high-speed rail lines," he said.

Yang from Beijing Jiaotong University, said the decision to expand the high-speed network was a wise one: "Once a line has been built, it can be used for years. From a long-term perspective, it is not possible to just build high-speed rail lines in the eastern regions. Balance is important in development."

In October, 61-year-old Lu Dongfu was appointed as the CRC's new general manager, replacing 67-year-old Sheng Guangzu, who was China's last minister of railways before rail operations were handed over to the corporation.