(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
(사진제공=AP통신)
[상하이=AP/KNS뉴스통신] 지난달 개통된 베이징-상하이 구간의 고속철이 정전으로 멈춰서는 사태가 발생하자 14일 중국 철도부는 왕융핑 대변인을 통해 6월30일 개통된 고속철의 정전사고에 대해 사과하고 문제해결에 최선을 다하겠다고 발표했다.
중국 공산당 창건 90 주년기념일을 기해 6월30일 베이징-상하이 노선의 성대한 개통식에서 중국은 선진기술을 대대적으로 선전했는데, 당국은 사고가 연달아 발생하자 당혹스러워 하고 있다.
새로이 개통된 노선은 속도 시속 300킬로미터로 주행하고 있으나 원래는 시속 350킬로미터로 설계되었다.
철도부 대변인은 “정전사태로 인하여 승객의 안전에 영향은 없으나 철도 운영이 커다란 지장을 받고 있다”고 말했다.
정전사태로 철도가 연이어 멈춰서는 사고에도 불구하고 고속철은 7월1-13일 동안 일일 평균 165,000명의 승객을 실어 나르고 있고 최대 197,000명의 승객이 이용할 것으로 기대되고 있다.
중국 당국은 현재의 고속 철도 노선을 올해 13,000킬로미터, 2020년까지 16,000킬로미터로 늘릴 계획이다.
(영문기사 원문)
China railway ministry vows to fix high-speed woes
SHANGHAI (AP) — China's railways ministry has promised to fix problems with power outages and other malfunctions that have plagued the showcase new high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai since it opened last month.
Railways Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping apologized Thursday in an "online chat" posted on the ministry's website, acknowledging that the 1,318-kilometer (820-mile) line which began commercial operations June 30 has experienced several dozen power outages in the past week.
He appealed for public understanding, saying that summer thunderstorms and winds have caused some of the problems.
The Beijing-Shanghai line was opened to great fanfare on June 30, the eve of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party. Its problems are awkward given the trophy project's purpose of demonstrating China's prowess in advanced technology.
The top operational speed for the line's trains is 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph). The speed was cut from the originally planned 350 kph (217 mph) after questions were raised about safety.
On Wednesday, a high-speed train headed to Beijing broke down due to a failure of its transformers, dropping the speed to 160 kph (100 mph) and passengers had to change trains because of concern the slow speed would disrupt the entire line's operations, Wang explained.
"These malfunctions did not cause any major safety risks, but they have truly affected the railway's operation," he said.
The railway will do its best to overcome the problems and operate the trains more smoothly, Wang said.
Despite the troubles, the railway carried an average of 165,000 passengers daily from July 1 to 13, with a peak of 197,000 people, he said.
Official plans call for China's bullet train network to expand to 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) of track this year and 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) by 2020.
김희광 기자 april4241@naver.com
