Measures taken on high speed rail safety

China is now the third country in the world with an inter-city high speed rail network. But as journey times fall, what measures are being taken to ensure the safety of passengers? And what lessons have been learnt as the thousands of kilometers of track were being laid down?

With great power comes great responsibility.

This is the fastest bullet train running on the longest railway line in China, from Beijing to Guangzhou. It is designed to operate at 350 kilometers an hour. The slightest oversight will mean catastrophic results.

We boarded a test train for the real experience.

Chen Yabing, Chief Engineer of Beijing-Zhengzhou Rail Project, said, "We adopted a real-time monitoring system, to track the condition of equipments such as tracks, catenaries, signaling system and the condition of the train itself. We can also monitor and respond in time to extreme weather and circumstances related to rain, snow and wind. "

There are emergency equipment on the train, and the crew are well trained to operate them.

Sheng Yali, Director of Beijing Passenger Transport Dep't, said, "We have run the Beijing-Shanghai line for a year, and gained a lot of experience. All of our crew members are experienced and selected from the Beijing-Shanghai line. Emergency treatment is an essential part in training. For example, the use of safety ladder, fire extinguisher, and safety hammer."

The Beijing-Guangzhou railway runs through China's most populated areas. The population flow is immense. Chinese New Year is just a month away, when hundreds of millions passengers will hit the road for home. The newly started High speed railway will soon face its first and toughest challenge.