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A northbound train on the newly opened Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line broke down on Wednesday. It was the third such incident since Sunday when services were disrupted by power outages. A spokesman for the Ministry of Railways has apologized for the delay which forced passengers to rearrange schedules and plans. He says technology specialists are working on the malfunction and trying their best to resume normal operations as soon as possible. After the incidents, what are people's opinions on the fastest trains in China? CCTV reporter Li Zhen has more.
Since its official operation started on June 30th, there have been 68 trains running on the Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway every day. When trains broke down for the 3rd time on this line, some people expressed their anxiety.
Mr. Wang, Local Resident, said, "I feel worried that because they have increased the speed so much there might be some problems. The government should carry out more investigations into the cause of the incidents."
However, at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, there are still many people buying tickets at the High Speed Rail ticket counter. It is estimated that about 20,000 tickets for the line are sold every day at 3 railway stations in Shanghai, which is equal to sales before the incidents."
Passenger of high-speed train said, "I still feel inclined to choose the Beijing- Shanghai High Speed Railway. After all it gives us a new option. It would be better if the operation can be more transparent and officials let us know more. "
"I think the high speed rail is great because it is faster. I hope it will be improved and the operation will return to normal." Passenger said.
Mr. Tong, Passenger, said, "This is a high tech product. I think it is normal to have some small problems. After all the government is trying hard to bring more convenience to people’s lives. We should understand each other."
Despite the repeated cancellations in the past 4 days, many people are taking a tolerant attitude towards the fastest trains in China. The Railway Ministry is doing its best to improve services and its emergency response system. The aim is to get back on track and regain public confidence..
For detailed measures of service improvement, officials from Shanghai railway bureau say they will improve information provision by using Broadcast screens in the station, official micro blogs; adding more staff when emergencies call for a consultant service and improving the movement of passengers. They will also make more notifications in English for overseas passengers. If delays happen at meal times, they will set up mobile food selling booths
Li Yi, Official of Shanghai Railway Station, said, "Now, we will looking for ways to improve our railway system and our service. We will ensure a safe operation of our railways by using advanced facilities and regaining people’s confidence in the Beijing-Shanghai high speed rail. "
Meanwhile, the causes of the breakdowns on July 12th and 13th are still under investigation. Officials say they will update the public once they have a result.