Accident raises doubts about China rail rapid plans

BEIJING (AP) - doubts about the dizzying plans of China rail expansion at high speed across the country have been highlighted by a wreck of train of the bullet that killed at least 36 people.Railway Minister sheng guangzu apologized to the victims of the crash Saturday and their families. The Embassy of United States in Beijing said two Americans were among the dead.A train ramming at the rear of another that the impasse after being struck by lightning in rail accident deadliest in China since 2008. Six cars derailed and four fell to about 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 meters) of a viaduct. More than 190 people were injured.The Ministry of railways and railway officials have not explained why the second train was apparently not warned that there was a deadlock train on its way.An expert said he believed that human error may have been involved. "" I think the problem may come from management, instead of technological failure sent, errors ", said qi qixin, Professor at the University Transportation Research Beijing Institute of technology. "The system should have an ability to automatically issue a warning or even stop a train in such circumstances," he said.The accident is the latest blow to the ambitions of China bullet train. Designed to show the growing wealth and technological prowess of the country, national prestige attached to high speed rail project is on an equal footing with the space program of the Chine.Beijing plans to extend the rail network at high speed - already more world - link remote and is also trying to sell its trains in Latin America and the Middle month of East.Last, launched with great publicity the Beijing Shanghai high speed line, with trains can travel at speeds of 186 miles (300 km) per hour. Speed was cut of the 217 planned initially (350 kph) mph after the questions have been raised about safety.Within four weeks of operation, the power outages and failures hit the line (1,318 km) showcase 820 miles. Previously, the railway Ministry apologized for the problems and said that winds and thunderstorms of summer were the cause in some cases.Appeal of official plans for China's bullet train network extending to 8,000 miles (13,000 km) of track this year and 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometres) by 2020.China trains are based on the Japanese, French and German technology, but manufacturers trying to sell in Latin America and the Middle East. That prompted complaints that Beijing is violated the spirit of the licenses with foreign suppliers by the resale of technology which was intended to be used only in the China.Saturday accident cause bullet trains first generation, which were launched in 2007 and have a top speed of 155 miles (250 km) per hour - slower that the Beijing News for trains of Shanghai.La tragedy hit shares of railway with China Railway Group sliding 7.7%. High speed train woes added to the negative sense of the impasse of U.S. debt, sending the Shanghai Composite Index decline 3% to 2, 688.75.The the railways Ministry said on its Web site Monday that the accident had killed 36 people and wounded 192. the crash happened when a train travelling shot of the South of the capital of the province of the Hangzhou Zhejiang lost power in a lightning, deadlocked and was struck by behind by a second train in the town of Wenzhou.Trois officials of the Shanghai Railway Bureau was sacked after the accident, and the State-controlled media have raised questionsespecially since the travel by train moves hundreds of millions of people each year.In an editorial entitled "Train crash lesson for the progress of railway", the overall time said that the accident should be "a bloody lesson for the whole railway industry in China."The newspaper said that the collision casts doubt on China railway high-speed expansion plans because the country's "lack of experience", seeking to join the top ranks of railway engineering.He said rail high-speed China is become "the new target of public criticism", add the accident should lead to "transport security, not slower railway."Régie des transports de la China has ordered departments and at an emergency meeting Sunday to start reviews of security in-depth to severe traffic accidents "resolutely halt", the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The order follows a number of recent accidents, including a fire in a long distance bus Friday which killed 41 people.Broadcaster State CCTV reported Monday that a 2 year old girl from one of the derailed carriages 21 hours after that the accident had a three-hour operation. She said that she had suffered lung damage, kidneys, and legs and is now in intensive care. His parents died in the accident.In April 2008, a train of regular speed travelling from Beijing to the eastern coastal city of Qingdao derailed and crashed into another train, killing 72 people and injuring 416.