Not long ago China’s rapidly expanding high-speed rail network was a source of national pride, a feat of development that prompted a nod of approval from President Barack Obama during his State of the Union speech in January. Earlier this month a spokesman for the Ministry of Railways even crowed about the superiority of China’s …
trains
Deadly Crash Adds to Worries About China’s High-Speed Trains
A deadly train wreck in south China has renewed concerns about the country’s rapid and costly development of a high-speed rail network. The collision of two high-speed trains Saturday evening near the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province killed 33 people and injured 191, according to China’s Ministry of Railways. The crash occurred when …
Amid Corruption Scandal, China Slows its High-Speed Trains
When China’s railway minister was sacked in February amid allegations of widespread corruption, one immediate question was what effect it would have on his effort to build a world-class high-speed train system. The answer, it emerged this week, is that China’s sleek, white bullet trains are going to ease up on the throttle. Sheng …