Shanghai subway to resume operation after crash

Updated: 2011-10-08 15:14

(Xinhua)

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SHANGHAI - Shanghai's Line 10 subway will resume normal operation on Sunday after a rear-end collision on September 27 injured nearly 300 passengers, subway authorities said Saturday.

A speed limit on the the subway's trains will be lifted after a thorough inspection has been conducted, Shanghai's subway authorities said in a statement.

A Line 10 subway train rear-ended another train around 3 pm on September 27, injuring more than 270 passengers. Most of the injuries were bruises and bone fractures, although 20 of the injured remain in critical condition.

Line 10 resumed operation the day after the crash, although train speeds were limited to 45 km per hour.

The Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Company, which operates Line 10, admitted that human error played a role in the train crash. According to an initial investigation, a sudden loss of power caused the subway line's signal system to fail, forcing the trains to be operated manually.

Train operators failed to follow proper procedure while operating the trains manually, resulting in the crash, the company said.

The failed signal system was produced by Chinese-French joint venture Casco, which also provided the signal system that failed during the deadly July 23 high-speed train crash in east China's city of Wenzhou.

Twelve people were removed from their posts or demoted in connection with the accident in Shanghai, investigators said Thursday. Those removed included Zhu Limin, vice director of the Shentong Group's dispatch department, as well as Kuo Kang and Tang Zhihua, vice-manager and chief of the Line 10 dispatch center, respectively.

Shanghai subway authorities have increased available manpower and made other efforts to ensure safety since the crash.