The Ministry of Railways apologized again to the public on July 14, 2011 for frequent breakdowns on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.

A spokesman of the ministry promised to make improvements as soon as possible.

Over the last five days, the newly built rail project has seen three breakdowns, with thousands of passengers delayed for hours.

"These malfunctions had not caused any major safety risks, but they have truly affected the railway's operation," said Wang Yongping, the ministry's spokesman, on www.people.com.cn.

According to Wang, the railway was designed to be "sensitive" to safety risks. Trains would stop running immediately if a power failure or bad weather happens.

Wang admitted that railway authorities should increase capabilities to prevent equipment failures and deal with emergencies.

He also promised the ministry would conduct a thorough safety check on the high-speed railway system and optimize the operation.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has carried an average of 165,000 passengers each day from July 1 to 13, with highest daily transportation volume of 197,000 people, according to Wang.

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