Modern Railways 2012, the largest railway industry exhibition in Asia, opened on Tuesday in Beijing.

The event, organized by the China Academy of Railway Sciences and China World Trade Center, has attracted more than 260 companies involved in the railway equipment and infrastructure sectors from 16 countries and regions.

By the end of 2011, China had more than 93,000 km of railway lines, nearly half of them electrified, and by October 2012, the length of the nation's high-speed lines had reached 7,753 km.

Exhibition organizers say the rapid development of the country's rail sector has provided huge opportunities for domestic and overseas enterprises.

The exhibition, launched in 1992, ends on Friday.