"But strategic planning can only be achieved through the coordination of different departments," he added.

He said that although China has maintained its lead in cutting-edge, high-speed rail technology, it does not have to cover the entire country with a high-speed network, but instead could export core technology to other countries to avoid wasting resources.

Sun Zhang, a professor with the Urban Rail & Railway Engineering Department of the Shanghai-based Tongji University, told the Global Times "Large- scale construction of high-speed railways is not necessarily feasible in China because many passengers in China are cost sensitive, which has already been reflected in ridership numbers."

"It will be hasty and risky to build a large, high-speed rail network because the investment won't be recovered within 10 years," he said, adding that the situation might be better when most Chinese value travel time over cost.