China hopes to invest more than 1 trillion yuan ($155 billion) by 2015 for 96 planned urban rail lines covering 2,500 kilometers, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

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As of 2010, the Chinese mainland had 12 cities operating 48 urban rail lines covering a total length of 1,395 kilometers, according to the China Communication and Transportation Association.

China's construction spending on each kilometer of urban rail is 500 million yuan. Such a huge investment requires strict reporting and reviews, Gao Yucai, director of the association's urban rail transport professional committee, told the newspaper.

The government recently approved 28 of 36 cities' urban rail transportation development plans for future rail lines.