The proposed Menghua railway linking coal-rich western Inner Mongolia to Jiangxi in southeastern China is expected to receive review opinion of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) concerning its environmental impact assessment (EIA) statement shortly, state media reported.<br /> <br /> The MEP’s nod to the EIA statement will play a key role in deciding whether the project gains approval from the National Development and Reform Commission or not. If all goes well, it will start construction within this year, the report said.<br /> <br /> Starting from Ordos in Inner Mongolia, the 1,817 km-long rail line will cross Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and finally reach Ji’an in Jiangxi, according to a public circular on the MEP’s website on May 23. It is designed with a transport capacity of 200 million tonnes per annum.<br /> <br /> The coal-dedicated rail line, which costs about 166.6 billion yuan, is one of the National Development and Reform Commission’s 80 key projects open to outside social capitals.<br /> <br /> The railway will be constructed by Mengxi-Huazhong Railway Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Corp., which will contribute 20% of the registered capital. Another 15 companies, including top miners Shenhua and China Coal, will own the rest stake.<br /> <br /> <p> On May 23, a command center was established in Xiangyang, Hubei province, signaling the kick-off of construction preparation, local media reported. </p> <p style="text-align:center;"> <img src="/upfiles/news/image/20140531/20140531103032_7114.jpg" alt="" /> </p>