As trains get ready to crank up their speed from next week, the
Ministry of Railways is keen to ensure all safety precautions are
in place.
It has therefore requested all local railway bureaux inspect
tracks and take all necessary precautionary measures to accommodate
the speed boost, which comes into effect on Wednesday.
From then on, most trains will be allowed to travel faster, with
those on trunk lines boosting their top speeds by 25 percent to 200
kph.
Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun urged all bureaux to put
together "a comprehensive, dependable safety precaution system"
prior to the speedup, People's Railway Daily reported.
On lines that carry trains traveling at 160 kph or faster,
protective nets will be erected on both sides to prevent animals or
people from stumbling on to the tracks.
According to railway experts, trains running at 200 kph or
above, also produce powerful following winds, which are capable of
knocking people off their feet. The nets will therefore ensure
bystanders are not "sucked" beneath the wheels of passing
trains.
Under new regulations, anyone caught tampering with the nets
will be charged with destroying railway safety equipment.
In November, an inspection revealed that nets used on sections
of the Beijing-Shandong and Beijing-Shanhaiguan lines had been
damaged by people taking shortcuts across the tracks. Also, in
Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, people said they had seen
oxen wandering near the lines after getting through gaps in the
nets.
In addition to fixing damaged nets, local bureaux have been
distributing brochures to people living near railways to warn them
of the potential dangers.
An official with the Beijing Railway Bureau said: "We have
completed most elements of the safety precaution system, as the
ministry required.
"Now we are focusing on raising public awareness of the new
rules."
The ministry conducted a final pre-speedup test last week on the
Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou railways.
China has steadily increased its trains' top speeds since 1997,
when most ran at just 60 kph.
This sixth speedup is expected to boost the rail network's
passenger capacity by 18 percent and cargo capacity by 12 percent,
the ministry said.
(China Daily April 11, 2007)