Teams to check on high-speed rail safety
By Ding Yining |
July 18, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SAFETY checks are to be carried out along the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed rail route to eliminate potential hazards on the line.
Until the end of the month, two inspection teams will be examining roads, bridges and culverts as well as construction and mining sites near the line, the State Administration of Work Safety said yesterday.
The 1,318-kilometer Shanghai-Beijing high-speed railway, which went into operation on June 30, has suffered three breakdowns since last Sunday, causing massive delays and public concern over safety on the line.
Only 85.6 percent of trains arrived on schedule as a result of the breakdowns.
With the summer transport peak looming, railway authorities are trying to ensure there will be no problems which will adversely affect the high-speed trains' timetable.
The Beijing News said yesterday the ministry is also working to increase passenger carrying capacity on the route.
Confidence back
But as the railway authority tries to win back passengers put off by the recent problems, airlines seemed to have regained their confidence.
Travelers can no longer enjoy cheap plane tickets on the Shanghai-Beijing route after airlines raised their prices on the back of the railway's problems.
Discounts of just 10 to 15 percent are available for flights from Shanghai to Beijing on Wednesday, according to online travel agency Ctrip.com, compared to discounts of up to 60 percent during the first week after the launch of the high-speed railway.
Prices now stand at between 900 yuan (US$139) and 1,130 yuan, the ticket booking website showed.
Some one-way tickets were costing just 590 yuan when the railway service was launched, including airport fees and fuel surcharges, only 35 yuan higher than a second-class ticket on the 300kph train, which makes the journey in about five hours.
China Eastern Airlines General Manager Ma Xulun had estimated a loss of 15 to 20 percent of passengers as some would choose to take the train because of its promise of punctuality.
The punctuality rate of flights on the Shanghai-Beijing route was just 32.6 percent in July last year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Until the end of the month, two inspection teams will be examining roads, bridges and culverts as well as construction and mining sites near the line, the State Administration of Work Safety said yesterday.
The 1,318-kilometer Shanghai-Beijing high-speed railway, which went into operation on June 30, has suffered three breakdowns since last Sunday, causing massive delays and public concern over safety on the line.
Only 85.6 percent of trains arrived on schedule as a result of the breakdowns.
With the summer transport peak looming, railway authorities are trying to ensure there will be no problems which will adversely affect the high-speed trains' timetable.
The Beijing News said yesterday the ministry is also working to increase passenger carrying capacity on the route.
Confidence back
But as the railway authority tries to win back passengers put off by the recent problems, airlines seemed to have regained their confidence.
Travelers can no longer enjoy cheap plane tickets on the Shanghai-Beijing route after airlines raised their prices on the back of the railway's problems.
Discounts of just 10 to 15 percent are available for flights from Shanghai to Beijing on Wednesday, according to online travel agency Ctrip.com, compared to discounts of up to 60 percent during the first week after the launch of the high-speed railway.
Prices now stand at between 900 yuan (US$139) and 1,130 yuan, the ticket booking website showed.
Some one-way tickets were costing just 590 yuan when the railway service was launched, including airport fees and fuel surcharges, only 35 yuan higher than a second-class ticket on the 300kph train, which makes the journey in about five hours.
China Eastern Airlines General Manager Ma Xulun had estimated a loss of 15 to 20 percent of passengers as some would choose to take the train because of its promise of punctuality.
The punctuality rate of flights on the Shanghai-Beijing route was just 32.6 percent in July last year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
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