China to recall 54 high-speed trains after deadly crash

China' major train manufacturer said Friday it will recall 54 high-speed trains used on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line over safety concerns following a deadly accident last month, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The Beijing-based CNR Corp. Ltd. said in a statement with the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it has asked the Ministry of Railways for approval of recalling its 54 high-speed CRH380BL trains, according to Xinhua. Friday's recall of high-speed trains came shortly after the country's railway ministry announced a slowdown of train speeds amid widespread concerns over the railway safety aroused by the July 23 train crash in east China, which left 40 people dead and 191 injured. The incident has been blamed on faulty signaling equipment. The State Council, or the Cabinet, on Wednesday ordered safety checks on high-speed railways and slower running speeds. The government will also reevaluate the system safety on rail projects that have received government approval but have not commenced construction, requiring a temporary halt of approval of new railway projects. Sheng Guangzu, the Minister of Railways, said that railways with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour (kph) will run at 300 kph, while those with a maximum speed of 250 kph will run at 200 kph, Xinhua said in an earlier report. Sheng added that railways whose speeds have been lifted to 200 kph will be slowed down to 160 kph. China began operating its bullet trains in 2007. By the end of 2010, 8,358 km of high-speed railways had gone into operation, ranking first in the world in terms of length. According to the country's railway network development plan, which was revised in 2008, the total length of China's railways is expected to reach 16, 000 km by 2020.