The ultra-modern, best of the best, spickity span high-tech Shanghai-Beijing Bullet train is now once again mired in controversy.
Within only two weeks of service, the fast rail has already been marred by numerous glitches.
On Tuesday, a power failure stranded 30 trains and hundreds of passengers for over two hours. This is the second time a power malfunction has occurred to the bullet trains in just three days.
This is coming from a project which, launched on the 90th anniversary of the CCCP, was meant to showcase a modern China and a willingness to invest in domestic infrastructure.
No explanation has yet been provided as to what caused the power failure, although burnt overhead electrical lines have been pointed to as a potential cause. The previous power failure was attributed to lightning hitting an electrical line, and the possibility that lightning struck the high-speed rail twice hasn’t been ruled out (we kid).
Wu Junyong, a professor specializing in railroad electrical engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University declared:
“The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail stretches for 1,318 km and crosses four provinces and three municipalities,” he said. “That malfunctions would occur on such a long line when it has been operating for less than two weeks is inevitable and understandable….Such malfunctions will become less common after it has been operating for a while longer.”
Only time will tell if this analysis is true or not. Regardless, until the train system is fixed, expect to see lots of this if failures continue to plague the high speed train system.
By Patrick Keefe


