China rail line collapses

Adding to the woes of China’s beleaguered railway sector, a section of a new high-speed rail track in central China’s Hubei province collapsed possibly due to persistent rains, prompting authorities to rush hundreds of workers for its repair.

The Hanyi High-speed Railway, which links the provincial capital Wuhan and Yichang city, is expected to open in May. But part of it has already collapsed after test runs, amid persistent rains.

The roadbed of a 300-metre section rail in Qianjiang city collapsed on Friday.  Workers said that heavy rains in the past few days may have caused the problem, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The 291-km Hanyi railway, constructed by the China Railway’s 12th Bureau Group Co., will be a major high-speed rail in central China.