Ministry of Railways, Administration of the Safe Operation of Joint Venture Railways and Local Railways Measures

Promulgated: October 1 2000
Effective: as of date of promulgation
Interpreting authority: Ministry of Railways

Applicability: The Measures apply to joint venture railways and local railways in the PRC (Article 2).

Main contents: According to the Measures, the Ministry of Railways authorizes its local railway bureaux to supervise, inspect and provide guidance for the safe operation of joint venture railways and local railways (Article 5). Management responsibility for railway operation rests with the competent administrative department at the next higher level or, in the case of a joint venture railway, the company that has a controlling interest in it (Article 7). Both joint venture and local railways must pass safety assessment by the Ministry of Railways or its authorized institution before they are open to passenger trains (Article 12). However, joint venture railways are required to have certain safety equipment and facilities in place while local railways are expected to install such equipment in phases (Article 13). The Measures require the major hardware of joint venture railways and the operations, maintenance and management of such hardware to comply with, not just "basically comply with", as required of local railways, the standards and requirements set out by the Ministry of Railways (Article 14). With regard to safety at railroad crossings, the Measures require joint venture railways to renovate, reconstruct and consolidate the existing facilities and not just supervise and manage them as required of local railways (Article 20). Both joint venture railways and local railways are required to make semi-annual and annual safety reports to their superior departments and ministry-authorized railway bureaux (Article 24).
Related legislation: PRC, Railroad Law, Sep 7 1990, CLP 1990 No.9 p11; State Council, Safety and Protection of Railways Transportation Regulations and Administration of Railways Technology Operational Rules