But irrespective of the lawyers' accusations, the railways should hold a public hearing on high-speed train fares, which are indeed very high, says an article in Xinhua Daily Telegraph. Excerpts:
Comment on "China's fastest train rolls off production line" (China Daily, May 28)
The expansion of the high-speed railway network from 7,000 km to 13,000 km by 2012 and at least 25,000 km by 2020 will usher in tremendous social changes. But expanding the "bullet train network" will create a lot of wastes.
As provincial officials appear to have caught bullet train fever, do you think it is time for China to put off its ambitious high-speed rail plans?
Construction of a high-speed rail link between Yunnan province and neighboring Myanmar, part of a project to upgrade transport connections with Southeast Asian nations, will start in about two months, a top rail expert said.