High-Speed Trains Found to Have Faulty Axles

Serious flaws in key components of several high-speed trains were spotted as early as June, leading to the scrapping of some parts. Caixin learned that a July 15 inspection by the railways bureau in Jinan, Shandong Province discovered a crack of 7.11 mm by 2.4 mm near the gear wheel, which resulted in the replacement of an axle.

But a few days after the inspection, information disclosed by the Ministry of Railways and CNR showed no substantive action. After switching out the axle, the train in question and another train of the same model and supplier continued to operate on the Beijing-Shanghai line at more than 300 kilometers per hour.