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China’s high-speed rail woes continue. Yesterday, train manufacturer China CNR Corp. announced it will recall 54 high-speed trains that operate on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway due to safety concerns, according to Chinese news service Xinhua.

CNR has blamed the safety issues on quality defects in outsourced parts and components. The two trains involved in last month’s high-speed train accident were not assembled by CNR; they were built by two subsidiaries of CSR Corp., another Chinese train manufacturer.

The company previously had decided to suspend delivery of the CRH 380BL trains because of flaws in the automatic braking systems. Two CNR subsidiaries, Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. and Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co., are assembling the trains.

“The trains are designed to automatically slow down or halt when quality problems occur to ensure safety,” said Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Vice President Zhao Minghua in a prepared statement. “They will also send information to the control center and other trains on the tracks.”

In addition, officials at China’s Ministry of Railways yesterday said they plan to slow the high-speed trains' operating speeds. The ministry also will cut the number of high-speed trains operating daily between Beijing and Shanghai.

In response to public complaints, the State Council of China’s Cabinet earlier this week ordered increased safety checks for the high-speed railways. The State Council also has temporarily suspended the approval of new railway construction projects.