As trains get ready to crank up their speed from next week, the Ministry of Railways is keen to ensure all safety precautions are in place.

It has therefore requested all local railway bureaux inspect tracks and take all necessary precautionary measures to accommodate the speed boost, which comes into effect on Wednesday.

From then on, most trains will be allowed to travel faster, with those on trunk lines boosting their top speeds by 25 percent to 200 kph.

Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun urged all bureaux to put together "a comprehensive, dependable safety precaution system" prior to the speedup, People's Railway Daily reported.

On lines that carry trains traveling at 160 kph or faster, protective nets will be erected on both sides to prevent animals or people from stumbling on to the tracks.

According to railway experts, trains running at 200 kph or above, also produce powerful following winds, which are capable of knocking people off their feet. The nets will therefore ensure bystanders are not "sucked" beneath the wheels of passing trains.

Under new regulations, anyone caught tampering with the nets will be charged with destroying railway safety equipment.

In November, an inspection revealed that nets used on sections of the Beijing-Shandong and Beijing-Shanhaiguan lines had been damaged by people taking shortcuts across the tracks. Also, in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, people said they had seen oxen wandering near the lines after getting through gaps in the nets.

In addition to fixing damaged nets, local bureaux have been distributing brochures to people living near railways to warn them of the potential dangers.

An official with the Beijing Railway Bureau said: "We have completed most elements of the safety precaution system, as the ministry required.

"Now we are focusing on raising public awareness of the new rules."

The ministry conducted a final pre-speedup test last week on the Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou railways, China News Agency reported.

China has steadily increased its trains' top speeds since 1997, when most ran at just 60 kph.

This sixth speedup is expected to boost the rail network's passenger capacity by 18 percent and cargo capacity by 12 percent, the ministry said.

(China Daily 04/11/2007 page3)