China track collapse sparks rail concerns
- 12 years ago
Workers in central China scramble to repair a new high-speed railway track that collapsed last Friday.
State television reported that heavy rain collapsed part of a 291 kilometre rail link set to open in May.
But local media said the accident might have been due to poor construction, and a railway department director told state television that the collapsed section failed a quality test earlier this year.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DIRECTOR OF HUBEI RAILWAY DEPARTMENT, WANG ZUJIAN, SAYING:
"During this process, it was found out that the section here at Qiangjiang was subsiding, and the design failed to meet the prescribed standards on the track bed, which was caving in."
China's railways ministry has been plagued by scandals and missteps.
In July last year a high-speed train crashed and killed 40 people, raising concerns about the safety of the fast-growing network.
China's cabinet criticised the railways ministry last December for lax safety standards and poor handling of the July crash.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
State television reported that heavy rain collapsed part of a 291 kilometre rail link set to open in May.
But local media said the accident might have been due to poor construction, and a railway department director told state television that the collapsed section failed a quality test earlier this year.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DIRECTOR OF HUBEI RAILWAY DEPARTMENT, WANG ZUJIAN, SAYING:
"During this process, it was found out that the section here at Qiangjiang was subsiding, and the design failed to meet the prescribed standards on the track bed, which was caving in."
China's railways ministry has been plagued by scandals and missteps.
In July last year a high-speed train crashed and killed 40 people, raising concerns about the safety of the fast-growing network.
China's cabinet criticised the railways ministry last December for lax safety standards and poor handling of the July crash.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.