Chinese bullet trains recalled in wake of fatal crash

By Tania Branigan, UK Guardian A Chinese bullet train manufacturer has recalled 54 trains, in the latest sign that the government has launched an overhaul of the beleaguered high-speed rail network in the wake of last month's fatal crash.

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The hugely ambitious project was a matter of national prestige – evidence that China could build not only faster but, said officials, better than anyone else. But the disaster at Wenzhou in Zhejiang province killed 40 people and sparked an outpouring of public fury which focused not just on the safety of the line but also on the authorities' handling of events, with accusations that they were seeking to cover up problems. Many saw it as emblematic of the dangers of China's accelerated development.

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