40 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the deadly train crash which happened in Wenzhou one month ago today. The accident initiated thorough safety checks on the country's rail lines and caused authorities to lower the running speeds of the fastest trains.

A month after the tragedy, a spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety reveals the causes of the crash. Huang Yi, the spokesman, said, "According to the investigation so far, the train crash on July 23rd was caused by flaws in the system which led to equipment bugs. Meanwhile, the accident has revealed big problems in emergency and safety management. The incident was a serious but an avoidable accident."

The accident also prompted railway authorities to order safety checks of all the country's train lines. The month-long inspections of 49 projects and 6,000 kilometers of bullet train lines will run through the middle of September. Train operations and construction will be suspended if safety flaws are found.

A second attempt to decrease the running speed of the trains is brewing, with more ticket price drops as well. From August 28th, the top speed of the Shanghai-Hangzhou bullet train will drop to 300 kilometers per hour from 350. And the ticket price of a first class seat will drop to 124 yuan from 131 yuan, and 78 yuan for second class instead the original 82 yuan.

Passengers say they don't mind the lower speed if their safety is ensured.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)