China’s State Council has ordered increased safety checks after a fatal train collision in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on 23 July killed 40 people. The crash raised concerns over the safety of the country’s high-speed rail network, which has been extended at a rapid rate in recent years.

The Ministry of Railways has taken the precaution of slowing down the operational speeds of high-speed trains, as well as reorganising train schedules. For example, trains on the high-speed Chongqing-Chengdu line will fall to 160 kph from 200 kph, extending the journey to two-and-a-half hours.

China CNR Corp, a major train manufacturer, said that it would recall 54 trains used on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway because of safety concerns. Trains from other railway lines have been moved to ensure the continued operation of this flagship project.

China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp, China’s largest train manufacturer, has established a new service centre in the city of Jinan in Shandong province, an important stop on the Beijing-Shanghai railway, to meet increasing maintenance requirements. It has also ordered more quality checks for the company’s products.