Chinese authorities to investigate allegations of high-speed rail construction problems in eastern province

Whistle-blower says construction piles in parts of Shandong railway do not meet design requirements, posing safety risk

After media reports confirm claims, transport department, railway authority and contractor announce probe over quality accusations

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Using construction piles that are too short for high-speed rail lines may cause foundation instability and safety hazards, according to experts. Photo: Weibo

Published: 8:00pm, 21 Jul 2023

The Shandong provincial transport department announced on Thursday it will investigate allegations of construction quality problems on a high-speed rail line in the eastern coastal province.

The statement came after media reported about alleged quality problems on the line linking the city of Laixi in central Shandong with Rongcheng on the coast, which stretches 193km (120 miles) in length.

Economic Information Daily, affiliated with China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, published an investigative piece on Thursday morning saying a contractor for the project reported that the main contractor, state-owned China Construction Eighth Engineering Division, was suspected of cutting corners in the construction process.

The whistle-blower said most construction piles in partial road sections of the railway did not meet design requirements, posing a safety risk.

Economic Information Daily said it visited the rail line and confirmed the whistle-blower’s reports with the help of professionals.

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