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High-speed rail safety concerns
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-08 07:18
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There is an urgent need to improve the safety and security of China's high-speed rail network, a railway official says.
Yu Zhuomin, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and chief of Wuhan Railway Bureau, said people crossing the railway in a reckless manner, invading railway land and the destruction of railway facilities are problems within the system.
The high-speed rail network needs to operate in a high security environment because a small breach could lead to disaster when the train travels at 350 km/h, he said.
Yu told the NPC on Saturday that "safety along the railway line is still a serious challenge" and there is an urgent need for comprehensive measures to improve the operational environment.
"To guarantee better traffic flow and safety along the railway artery, relevant railway departments need to strengthen construction of safety facilities and enhance track patrol and inspection. On the other hand, support from local governments is needed to create the railway safety environment," Yu said.
China has a high-speed rail network stretching about 3,300 kilometers , and it plans to expand the tracks to 13,000 kilometers by 2012.
- Shi Yingying
