China will put back into service 54 bullet trains recalled over safety concerns in the wake of a deadly July collision following "modifications and repeated tests," according to state-run media.
But it was unclear how the trains had been fixed or modified, adding to questions that continue to surround China's high-speed train network, once a proud symbol of the nation's fast growth and increasing technical prowess. Officials at China's Ministry of Railways didn't respond to requests for comment.
Xinhua news agency, quoting an unnamed ministry official, said the trains will resume service over the next several weeks. It said six of the recalled bullet trains will start running again Wednesday on the Beijing-Shanghai line, which links the country's capital to its financial center. The rest will be running by Dec. 6 if everything goes according to plan, it said.
Chinese train maker CNR Corp. recalled 54 of its CRH380BL bullet trains running on the Beijing-Shanghai line in mid-August following repeated delays blamed on equipment failures. As a result, it also reduced service by one-quarter.
Xie Jilong, a CNR spokesman, declined to comment.
The moves were among a series of setbacks that affected China's massive high-speed rail network, chief among them the July accident in the southeastern city of Wenzhou that killed 40 people and injured nearly 200 others.
The agency quoted the unnamed ministry official as saying: "After a three-month process of modifications and repeated tests, previously reported problems with the CRH380BL trains have all been fixed. Operations will gradually resume starting from Wednesday."
At the time of the recall, Xinhua reported that testing will be conducted on more than 1,000 sensors on CRH380BL trains that monitor pressure, speed and temperature. The report said that the sensors, produced by a foreign company it didn't name, may have caused stoppages on the Beijing-Shanghai route in July. In Monday's report, Xinhua didn't elaborate on those issues.
Safety questions continue to hover over China's high-speed passenger railway. The July crash in Wenzhou, prompted authorities to promise a full high-speed railway system safety review and a thorough investigation into the accident. Beijing hasn't yet released the investigation's results, which were originally expected in mid-September.
