North Korea and a Chinese consortium have agreed to build high-speed railways and expressways linking the North Korean cities of Gaeseong, Pyongyang and Sinuiju.
 
The head of the North's national economic development committee and a Chinese representative of investors signed the deal on Sunday.
 
The two countries will spend 15 trillion won to build double-track railways and four-lane expressways over five years. The operator of the project will manage the railways and roads for 30 years before turning over operating rights to the North Korean government.
 
The railways and expressways will extend roughly 400 kilometers, linking Gaeseong, Haeju, Sariwon, Pyongyang, Sinanju, Jeongju and Sinuiju.
 
The plan aims to link the envisioned railways to Chinese railroads from Sinuiju and connect the new railways from Jeongju to Khasan, Russia.
 
The Chinese consortium intends to send a working-level delegation to the North soon to finalize construction plans. An official contract for the project will be signed in Pyongyang. 

It has been confirmed that a South Korean resources developer has joined the international consortium. The company is considering ways to include other South Korean firms in the project.