The construction of the Sichuan-Tibet railway should be incorporated into the country's next five-year plan, according to the Sichuan delegation at the annual session of the National People's Congress.

The delegation said on Tuesday that the central budget should include a special fund for the railway. The 1,800-kilometer line will connect Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, with Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet autonomous region, and construction will cost 200 billion yuan ($32 billion).

Last year, the central government approved the construction of sections linking Lhasa to Nyingchi in eastern Tibet, and Chengdu to Ya'an in western Sichuan.

The delegation suggested that preparation work for two further sections, from Ya'an to Kangding and from Kangding to Nyingchi, should be accelerated so that construction can begin this year.

It said the central government should provide the same level of construction subsidies for the railway as it gives to projects in Tibet.

After completion, the railway will form a ring with the Qinghai-Tibet line, which began operation in 2006.

Last year, Sichuan invested more than 30 billion yuan in railway construction - only two other regions spent more.

The 13th Five-Year Plan will cover 2016 to 2020. By the time it gets underway, Sichuan will have nearly 7,000 kilometers of railway.

Wei Hong, an NPC deputy and Sichuan's governor, said the railway will improve regional transportation capacity and integrate Tibet more closely with other parts of China.

A report published by the Sichuan delegation on Tuesday said the line will play an important role in the development of the proposed Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, as well as promoting ethnic unity and stability.

The delegation submitted five other proposals to the NPC, including a call for faster development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Contact the writer at pengyining@chinadaily.com.cn

Peng Chao contributed to this story.

(China Daily USA 03/16/2015 page6)