A high-speed railway linking Beijing and Shanghai moved a step closer to fruition with the establishment of a panel of high-ranking officials to coordinate its construction, the Economic Observer reported. Zeng Peiyan, who is expected to step down as vice premier in coming months, was appointed as director of the panel, while Ma Kai, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, will be the panel's vice director. Other members include ministers from various state ministries and the governors of the six provinces through which the railway will pass. The 1,318 kilometers railway, which will be completed in 2010, will reduce travel time between Shanghai and Beijing from 14 hours to 5 hours.