China adjusts regulation on railway safety management

China has made changes to its railway safety management system and a new regulation will be effective from Jan. 1, a statement released by the State Council, the cabinet, said Friday.

Released under an administrative decree signed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the regulation adjusted responsibility roles for railway safety after a cabinet restructuring plan earlier this year dismantled the Ministry of Railway into administrative and business arms to improve efficiency.

The regulation ordered related parties to set up safety management units, have an adequate number of personnel and ensure enough capital for safe production.

It also specified safety procedures and standards in the process of railway production and operation.

With a length of over 9,300 km by the end of last year, China boasts the world's largest high-speed rail network in operation, but a string of corruption and safety scandals in recent years have prompted widespread public anger.

Former railways minister, Liu Zhijun, was expelled from the Communist Party of China for corruption in May last year following a high-speed train collision that left 40 people dead and 172 injured near the city of Wenzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang Province in 2011.