China suspends new rail projects

Press reports from China Wednesday said Premier Wen Jiabao has told state media that the government will suspend approval of new railway projects while it conducts safety checks to address concerns rising from the high speed train collision last month that killed 40 people.

Wen reportedly told cabinet-level state council that a working group established by the council will examine the quality of equipment design and employee training on high speed rail systems in operation as well as under construction.

He also said operators should “reduce the average speed of new high speed trains at their early stage of operation.”

Reuters noted that the railway ministry has already ordered a two-month safety review and that “a Chinese railway research institute has taken responsibility for a flaw in signaling equipment as the cause of the crash.”