11 Aug 2011

China halts all new rail projects

10:28 pm on 11 August 2011

The Chinese government has ordered a temporary halt to all new high-speed railway construction projects.

Forty people died after a train ran into the back of another which had stalled on a viaduct near Wenzhou on 23 July after lightning cut its power supply.

China's state media says the temporary suspension of new projects is while safety check are carried out and bullet trains will operate at reduced speeds.

The BBC reports the announcement is a huge embarrassment for Beijing, which viewed the high-speed rail network as a project of national prestige.

The crash called into question the safety of the network, which is the largest in the world. Critics say it has been built too quickly, without enough expertise.