Empire Commuter: Let's hope this isn't our future

For about twenty years there have been studies and plans for a "high-speed" train for the Empire Line. So far they have come to little more than a way to fund politically connected engineering consultants. But as the saying goes, "be careful of what you wish for." An article from the UK Globe and Mail describes a high-speed rail system in China that wasn't quite what it seemed:

Fake building material imperils new Chinese railway

July 7, 2007 at 1:25 AM EDT

BEIJING: Fake construction material is jeopardizing the safety of China's newest high-speed railway, a Chinese newspaper says.

An investigation by the newspaper found that large quantities of bogus material had been used in several hundred kilometres of a $12-billion (U.S.) high-speed railway between the cities of Wuhan and Guangzhou.

The newspaper, China Economic Times, said the scam by unscrupulous suppliers could lead to cracking in the railway's concrete supports, creating a "great danger" to the railway.

The newspaper report, published this week, has triggered an investigation by the Chinese Railways Ministry.

The report is the latest revelation in the widening scandal over shoddy and hazardous goods in China. The issue has emerged as a global concern, with many countries, including Canada, increasingly worried by the dangers of food and other products from China.