People stand next to a train at a railway station in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s state planner said on Wednesday it has approved inter-city railway projects in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, with a combined total investment value of 231.7 billion yuan ($33.82 billion).

The eight inter-city railway projects will have a total length of 1,063 km, with 980 km in Jiangsu, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on its website.