Railway station, staffs fined for violation of emergency regulation

A railway station and three of its employees have been fined for failing to properly report a railway accident earlier this year, according to a recent statement from China's National Railway Administration.

The incident occurred on May 12 at Erlian Railway Station in Erenhot, a city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The accident involved a shunting derailment, which caused a railway traffic disruption, although no major casualties were reported. However, the station failed to report the incident immediately, as required under China's Railway Accident Emergency Response and Investigation Regulations.

Following an investigation, the Xi'an Railway Supervision Bureau found that Erlian Railway Station, operated by the China Railway Hohhot Group, did not adhere to the established emergency response and reporting procedures. The failure to notify authorities in a timely manner violated key provisions of the regulations.

As a result of this oversight, the Xi'an Railway Supervision Bureau imposed a fine of 150,000 yuan ($20,700) on Erlian Railway Station. Additionally, three employees responsible for failing to report the incident were fined 5,000 yuan, 6,000 yuan and 6,000 yuan, respectively.

The China Railway Hohhot Group, one of 18 regional railway operators under the China State Railway Group, operates an extensive rail network across the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and nearby areas.