Trains on the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway were back on schedule yesterday morning after an equipment failure on Tuesday in Central China's Hunan Province caused 52 trains to be delayed at least two hours each.
Half of the line's trains were affected, making it the worst train delay so far this year, said Zhu Haibin, the Guangzhou train station's office director.
Another 16 trains leaving Guangzhou were delayed because of equipment failure, Zhu said.
A sudden electricity break in Hunan on Tuesday on the Wuhan-Guangzhou Electric Railway, part of the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, caused the delays, according to the Guangzhou Railway Group.
Trains heading for Beijing were not affected.
One official with the group said the breakdown was not unusual since the railway has been in use for only six months.
Two waiting halls were opened at the rail station to make it more convenient for passengers. They received an apology and were told to reschedule their trips without any ticket handling charge.
"The station has been in good order," Zhu said.
(China Daily March 7, 2002)
