In a circular released on June 1, the State Council approved the suggestion on promoting safe environment along the railway.

The inter-ministerial joint conference system for governance of safe environment along the railway must strengthen overall planning and coordination, and a long-term mechanism must be established, the circular said.

Local governments should coordinate governance of a safe environment along the railway at the local level, while railway transport enterprises should strengthen internal safety management, and in a timely manner report hidden problems affecting railway safety to local governments and relevant departments.

Railroad regulatory departments should improve relevant systems, strengthen coordination, and conduct strict supervision and law enforcement.

Road patrols will be organized to solve railway-related disputes, and illegal and criminal activities that destroy railway facilities and endanger the safety of passengers will be severely cracked down on.

Hidden dangers, with the focus on light objects within 500 meters on both sides of the railway, like tiles, plastics and billboards, should be eliminated by the end of 2022.

Areas where groundwater exploitation is prohibited and restricted along the railway should be designated, illegal buildings in railway safety and protection zones will be removed, and risks such as mountain slopes, bridges across waterways and level crossings will be managed, according to the circular.

Closed-off protection and management of rail tracks should be strengthened, especially for those serving trains with speeds of more than 120 kilometers per hour.

Illegal activities, like producing and keeping hazardous chemicals without approval in railway safety and protection zones, will be cracked down on, the circular said.

Railway laws and local railway safety regulations should be formulated as soon as possible, and local governments should include the governance of a safe environment along the railway into their work assessment.

Technologies, such as video monitoring, automatic control, artificial intelligence and big data analysis, as well as an information platform, should be used in the governance of a safe environment along the railway.

A linkage mechanism between railway transport enterprises and relevant government departments should be improved to enhance emergency response capabilities.

Knowledge of relevant regulations and policies should be promoted to raise the awareness of improving the safety environment along the railway.