Jiangxi Ji’an Sustainable Urban Transport Project
PROJECT BRIEF
Jiangxi Ji’an is a prefectural level city in Jiangxi Province about 250 kilometers south of the provincial capital of Nanchang. It is a major center for tourism in the People’s Republic of China, where the Jinggangshan National Scenic Area is located drawing large numbers of domestic tourists.
The city is located along the heavily traveled expressway corridor between Nanchang and Guangzhou and is well placed as a hub for freight and passenger transport. Ji’an is developing into a railway hub for central Jiangxi province. The city lies along the Jingjiu railway, which travels from Beijing to Kowloon, and is traversed by the Hengchaji railway and Fenwen railway. The Changjigan Intercity Express is a new planned passenger railway that will connect to the New Nanchang Railway Station, travel south through Ji’an to Ganzhou, and eventually extend to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China. The opening of the new railway station offers a significant opportunity to improve the economy of this region through large reductions in regional travel times and costs while enhancing the attractiveness of Jiangxi Ji’an as a tourism destination.
The Jiangxi Ji’an Municipal Government proposed a project with the following components: (i) public transport hub, (ii) road construction to connect a new high speed passenger railway station to the existing urban area, (iii) railway station plaza, (iv) bus rapid transit (BRT) system, (v) river restoration and green zone development, and (vi) improved energy efficiency.
The new station is planned to become a new gateway to the city and anchor a new development area that that will include a major business center, hotels, educational and cultural institutions, and housing. The station and surrounding area must be efficiently linked to the existing city with well-designed multimodal transport infrastructure and high-quality integrated public transport services to reduce transport costs, increase travel opportunities and regional accessibility to jobs and services, and promote economic development and poverty reduction. At present, the station area is predominantly rice paddies and small villages. Expected project duration is 5 years with target completion date of December 2017. FINANCING
The project cost estimate from the pre-feasibility study report was Amount Share of Total Source RMB 1.94 billion (about $309 million equivalent). The financing ($ million) (%) plan includes a proposed ADB loan of $120 million, $2.5 million Asian Development Bank 120.0 38.8 grant from the GEF, with the remaining $186.5 million funded by Global Environment Facility 2.5 0.8 the Jiangxi Ji’an Municipal Government through the Ji'an City Government 186.5 60.4 Investment and Development Company, Ltd. Total $309.0 100.0 Note: Tentative financing plan based on government estimates Source: ADB Concept Paper. Project Number PRC 45022. December 2011.
Asian Development Bank l January 2012