Sinister Cultural Marxist
25th July 2011, 16:13
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14262276
At least 35 people have died and more than 200 are hurt after two high-speed trains crashed into each other in eastern China, state media reports.
Two train coaches fell off a bridge after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.
Chinese media report that one of the trains came to a halt after being struck by lightning and was then hit by the second train.
Rescue workers are at the scene, near Shuangyu town in Wenzhou.
It is not known how many people were on the trains at the time, but Xinhua news agency says each carriage can carry 100 people.
Initial reports suggested one bullet train had derailed at about 2030 (1230 GMT) - the D3115 travelling from the provincial capital Hangzhou.
But local television later said the first train had been forced to stop after losing power due to a lightning strike, and was then rear-ended by another train, the D301, causing two of its carriages to fall off an elevated section of track.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54231000/gif/_54231278_china_beij_shangh_wenzhou_0711.gif
TV pictures showed one carriage lying on its side under the bridge, and the other standing on its end leaning up against the bridge. There were reports that four carriages from the other train had also derailed, but it is not known if that led to further casualties.
"D" trains are the first generation of bullet trains in China, with an average speed of just short of 100mph (160km/h).
"The train suddenly shook violently, casting luggage all around," one survivor, Liu Hongtao, was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "Passengers cried for help but no crew responded."
China is spending billions on constructing a high-speed rail network.
Last month China inaugurated its Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail link. The 300 km/h (190mph) train halves the journey time to under five hours.
But the project has come under fire for its high cost - the Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215bn yuan ($33bn; £21bn). It has also been blighted by power outages and other problems.
China is planning to roll out high-speed lines across the country.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says there are also fears corruption has compromised safety in the network's construction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163
China fires top officials after railway crash kills 35
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54236000/jpg/_54236304_012517649-1.jpgClick to play
The two high-speed trains collided in eastern China, state media reports
Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163#story_continues_1) Related Stories
Aftermath of train collision (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14265533)
Dozens die in China train crash (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14262276)
China tests new bullet train (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13929242)
China has fired three senior railway officials following a high-speed train crash that left 35 people dead.
The government has also halted services of 58 other trains and called for a nationwide safety check.
The accident is the latest in a series of problems for the high-speed network, which has been dogged by controversies, including accusations of corruption.
On Saturday, two train coaches fell off a bridge, after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.
The railway ministry said it had sacked the head of the Shanghai railway bureau, his deputy and the bureau's Communist Party chief.
"As leaders... they should take ultimate responsibility for the main cause of the accident," railways ministry spokesman Wang Yongping said.
Reliability concerns The accident comes at a time when China has been spending billions of dollars to build a high-speed rail network across the country.
Last month it inaugurated the Beijing-Shanghai link, reducing the travel time between the two cities by half.
Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163#story_continues_2) “Start Quote
I should still say to people that China's high-speed rail technology is up to date and up to standard, and we still have faith in it”
Wang Yongping Railway ministry spokesman
However, the project has come under fire for various reasons.
The first amongst those has been the high cost. The Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215bn yuan ($33bn; £21bn).
To make matters difficult for the authorities, the high-profile link suffered problems due to a series of power outages soon after its launch.
That raised doubts about the reliability of the high-speed network.
The latest crash has fuelled those concerns with questions being raised about safety.
However, Mr Wang of the railway ministry sought to quell fears.
"There will be many people who think that this is a safety problem caused by high-speed rail itself," he said.
"I should still say to people that China's high-speed rail technology is up to date and up to standard, and we still have faith in it."
Uncertain future? While Chinese officials have reiterated their faith in the high-speed network, investor confidence in the sector has been dented.
Shares of Chinese rail equipment makers fell, as investors were concerned about the impact of the accident on companies associated with the sector.
Shares of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp Limited, the company that made the trains that collided, slumped as much as 16% to hit at 12-month low on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
China Northern Locomotive, another key player in the sector saw its shares fall 6.5% in Shanghai.
On the other hand, shares of Chinese airlines rose as investors picked up their stocks in the hope that people will prefer flights over rail travel in wake of the accident, thereby boosting the profits of the carriers.
Shares of Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines all gained more than 4%.
Analysts said that markets were concerned that orders at the country's rail equipment makers may also be hit.
"Sentiment was dampened by the accident," said Mark Po of UOB Kay Hian.
"This is adding more uncertainties to the already weak sector as safety checks may delay the process of awarding contracts to the equipment providers," he added.
China is expected to spend up to 4tn yuan on its rail sector as part of its five year plan to 2015.
However, Mr Po said the accident could see that change.
"Nobody can tell whether these targets are still intact," he said.
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 1: Lightning strikes metal objects
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 2: Large surges of electricity are bad for electronics systems
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 3: Never, ever, ever build any large buildings or infrastructure without figuring out what will happen during common natural events.
What, does the Chinese railway ministry not know what a lightning rod is? Something about this whole story just strikes of either massive corruption or really, really thoughtless planning. Were they simply building too many train tracks at once to think it all through? This seems like such an obviously preventable tragedy.
At least 35 people have died and more than 200 are hurt after two high-speed trains crashed into each other in eastern China, state media reports.
Two train coaches fell off a bridge after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.
Chinese media report that one of the trains came to a halt after being struck by lightning and was then hit by the second train.
Rescue workers are at the scene, near Shuangyu town in Wenzhou.
It is not known how many people were on the trains at the time, but Xinhua news agency says each carriage can carry 100 people.
Initial reports suggested one bullet train had derailed at about 2030 (1230 GMT) - the D3115 travelling from the provincial capital Hangzhou.
But local television later said the first train had been forced to stop after losing power due to a lightning strike, and was then rear-ended by another train, the D301, causing two of its carriages to fall off an elevated section of track.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54231000/gif/_54231278_china_beij_shangh_wenzhou_0711.gif
TV pictures showed one carriage lying on its side under the bridge, and the other standing on its end leaning up against the bridge. There were reports that four carriages from the other train had also derailed, but it is not known if that led to further casualties.
"D" trains are the first generation of bullet trains in China, with an average speed of just short of 100mph (160km/h).
"The train suddenly shook violently, casting luggage all around," one survivor, Liu Hongtao, was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "Passengers cried for help but no crew responded."
China is spending billions on constructing a high-speed rail network.
Last month China inaugurated its Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail link. The 300 km/h (190mph) train halves the journey time to under five hours.
But the project has come under fire for its high cost - the Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215bn yuan ($33bn; £21bn). It has also been blighted by power outages and other problems.
China is planning to roll out high-speed lines across the country.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says there are also fears corruption has compromised safety in the network's construction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163
China fires top officials after railway crash kills 35
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54236000/jpg/_54236304_012517649-1.jpgClick to play
The two high-speed trains collided in eastern China, state media reports
Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163#story_continues_1) Related Stories
Aftermath of train collision (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14265533)
Dozens die in China train crash (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14262276)
China tests new bullet train (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13929242)
China has fired three senior railway officials following a high-speed train crash that left 35 people dead.
The government has also halted services of 58 other trains and called for a nationwide safety check.
The accident is the latest in a series of problems for the high-speed network, which has been dogged by controversies, including accusations of corruption.
On Saturday, two train coaches fell off a bridge, after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.
The railway ministry said it had sacked the head of the Shanghai railway bureau, his deputy and the bureau's Communist Party chief.
"As leaders... they should take ultimate responsibility for the main cause of the accident," railways ministry spokesman Wang Yongping said.
Reliability concerns The accident comes at a time when China has been spending billions of dollars to build a high-speed rail network across the country.
Last month it inaugurated the Beijing-Shanghai link, reducing the travel time between the two cities by half.
Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14271163#story_continues_2) “Start Quote
I should still say to people that China's high-speed rail technology is up to date and up to standard, and we still have faith in it”
Wang Yongping Railway ministry spokesman
However, the project has come under fire for various reasons.
The first amongst those has been the high cost. The Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215bn yuan ($33bn; £21bn).
To make matters difficult for the authorities, the high-profile link suffered problems due to a series of power outages soon after its launch.
That raised doubts about the reliability of the high-speed network.
The latest crash has fuelled those concerns with questions being raised about safety.
However, Mr Wang of the railway ministry sought to quell fears.
"There will be many people who think that this is a safety problem caused by high-speed rail itself," he said.
"I should still say to people that China's high-speed rail technology is up to date and up to standard, and we still have faith in it."
Uncertain future? While Chinese officials have reiterated their faith in the high-speed network, investor confidence in the sector has been dented.
Shares of Chinese rail equipment makers fell, as investors were concerned about the impact of the accident on companies associated with the sector.
Shares of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp Limited, the company that made the trains that collided, slumped as much as 16% to hit at 12-month low on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
China Northern Locomotive, another key player in the sector saw its shares fall 6.5% in Shanghai.
On the other hand, shares of Chinese airlines rose as investors picked up their stocks in the hope that people will prefer flights over rail travel in wake of the accident, thereby boosting the profits of the carriers.
Shares of Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines all gained more than 4%.
Analysts said that markets were concerned that orders at the country's rail equipment makers may also be hit.
"Sentiment was dampened by the accident," said Mark Po of UOB Kay Hian.
"This is adding more uncertainties to the already weak sector as safety checks may delay the process of awarding contracts to the equipment providers," he added.
China is expected to spend up to 4tn yuan on its rail sector as part of its five year plan to 2015.
However, Mr Po said the accident could see that change.
"Nobody can tell whether these targets are still intact," he said.
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 1: Lightning strikes metal objects
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 2: Large surges of electricity are bad for electronics systems
Engineering for Dummies Lesson 3: Never, ever, ever build any large buildings or infrastructure without figuring out what will happen during common natural events.
What, does the Chinese railway ministry not know what a lightning rod is? Something about this whole story just strikes of either massive corruption or really, really thoughtless planning. Were they simply building too many train tracks at once to think it all through? This seems like such an obviously preventable tragedy.