China has seen what may be the worst railway disaster in over a decade. The pre-dawn accident occurred between two passenger trains and may have killed nearly 100 people, injuring hundreds more. The Chinese Ministry of Railways is currently investigating the tragedy.
In keeping with the recent troubles China has experienced over the upcoming Olympics, one of the trains was headed from Beijing to Qingdao, which is where some Olympic sailing events are scheduled to take place. This coastal city is normally reached by those in Beijing and other large cities via train, and the recent accident may shake the trust of those who would have used this method of transportation to attend some of the Olympic events near the coast.
Just three months ago, there was another accident involving a train ramming into track workers, killing 18. The Ministry of Railways was charged with increasing safety, which was – and perhaps still is – in a dismal state. In the last year of full reporting on railway-related fatalities, China states that an average of 20 people per day were killed in train accidents. After the 2-train collision on Monday, two senior railway officials were fired almost instantly.
China is expected to spend around $40 billion in efforts to enhance their rail system. Among the plans are new high-speed commuter trains for the Beijing-Shanghai run, and the construction of new rail systems so that passenger trains will have their own rails to ride, instead of using freight lines. Trains are a big deal in China, with over one billion rides per year being logged; averaging about one ride for each Chinese citizen.
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