Gov't vows to to ensure bullet trains run on schedule


Xinhua, July 17, 2011

China's railway authorities are to rearrange summer transportation on Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway, saying efforts will be made to ensure trains arrive and leave on schedule.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has carried an average of 165,000 passengers each day from July 1 to 13.

According to Sunday's The Beijing News, the Ministry of Railways is working to increase Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway's passenger carrying capacity as it is the most popular choice for travellers, said the newspaper.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has carried an average of 165,000 passengers each day from July 1 to 13, with highest daily transportation volume of 197,000 people, according to Wang Yongping, spokesman with the ministry.

Wang apologized on Thursday for delays on the newly-built railway over the last five days during an online chat hosted by people.com.cn, the online arm of China's People's Daily.

The 1,318-km Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway went into operation on June 30. The train trip between the two cities takes less than five hours.

The country's railways have carried a total of 83.848 million passengers since July 1, the beginning of this year's summer transportation. The figure represents a 14.7 percent increase from a year earlier, The Beijing News reported on Sunday.