* 58 other stations use same signaling system

The signaling used at Wenzhou South station, which many people are blaming for Saturday’s crash, is identical to that employed at 58 other stations across the country, deputy rail minister Peng Kaiyu has said.

He added that the other equipment is being checked.

 * Government Doubles Offer of Compensation For Families of Victims

The government on Friday said that relatives of those killed in the crash will receive 915,000 yuan, almost twice its previous offer of 500,000 yuan.

Some people have been refusing the compensation, demanding instead that the government release details on the cause of the accident.

* News Producer Punished After Interviewing Victims

A television producer for China’s state news channel has been suspended after a half-hour report that featured hospital interviews with survivors of the crash, a Southern Weekly reporter wrote on his microblog.

Wang Qinglei, who produced 24 hours for CCTV, wrote on his own blog that “journalists, doctors and teachers can help protect basic human rights” and that “as long as a country has journalists who resist pressure…it still has the soul.”

* Report into Crash Causes Due In September

The State Council’s investigative team aims to complete its investigation by September, its head Luo Lin said on Thursday.

* Death toll climbs to 40 

 The death of factory owner Chen Wei late on Thursday night brought the toll to 40, Caixin Online reported.

Chen’s family was with him in the Wenzhou hospital, where he had been in a coma for the last few days.  

* Banks May Raise Interest Rates on Railway’s Loans

State owned banks are likely to charge the Ministry of Railways higher interest on its debts, one unnamed banker told Guangzhou Daily.

Beijing Times quoted another baker who stressed the ministry’s ”strong bargaining power...they change banks if they are not satisfied,” he said.

The ministry had total debt of 1.25 trillion yuan in 2010, but only paid 25 billion yuan in interest.

* Railways Ministry Denies Attempt to Bury Evidence

The Ministry of Railways denied that it had tried to “to destroy the evidence” by burying the crushed carriage.

The ministry said it was necessary to lower the carriage into a pit to make space for a crane to do rescue work, People’s Daily reported on July 28.

Links

Xinhua: 骆琳:"7·23"温州动车事故调查结果争取9月中旬公布

People’s Daily: 铁道部回应：“掩埋车头 销毁证据”不实

The Beijing Times: 信号设备设计缺陷导致事故

The Beijing Times: 铁道部新借贷款利率难获优惠

Legal Daily: 信号设备设计方否认为温州动车追尾事故负责

Guangzhou Daily: 银行酝酿提高铁道贷款利率

China Youth: 通号院能否为“7·23”特大事故负责

Beijing Morning Post: 信号设备严重缺陷导致追尾

China News: “7·23”事故一福建籍乘客抢救无效遇难

Caixin Online: “7·23”温州动车事故死亡人数升至40人

Sina Weibo: Yu Nan’s Microblog

Phoenix TV: Top Image

Sina Weibo: Wang Qinglei’s Microblog