Late at 11:30 p.m. on September 13, in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, an unmanned subway train on the line collided with a cleaner, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury, during non-operating hours.
On September 24, the “Jinan Daily” media group “New Yellow River” reported that a major accident occurred on September 13 on the second line of the rail transit in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province.
Multiple sources revealed that after the incident, internal documents circulated within the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Transportation Management System showed that the accident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on September 13, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 injury.
The last trains on the line were scheduled for 10:30 p.m. and 10:32 p.m., indicating that the accident occurred after the end of the last train and during non-operating hours.
On the afternoon of September 19, a reporter from “New Yellow River” visited one of the stations on the Shaoxing Metro Line 2 to inquire about the incident.
A cleaner mentioned hearing about the incident but noted that it occurred at another station on the Shaoxing Metro Line. Two cleaners mentioned that one of the injured men in the accident was a cleaner on Line 2 and also a relative of a cleaner on Line 1, with injuries to his right leg and still hospitalized awaiting compensation discussions.
Subsequently, the reporter contacted various departments including the Shaoxing Rail Transit Group Company and the Shaoxing Emergency Management Bureau but did not receive a response. The awarded cleaning service contract for the Shaoxing Metro Line 2 Phase 1 from 2024 to 2027 was won by Zhejiang Asia-Pacific Hotel Property Services Co. Ltd, but their Shaoxing branch declined interviews.
On the afternoon of September 24, the reporter, posing as a citizen, called the Safety Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Transportation. The staff mentioned that specific details of the accident cannot be disclosed until the investigation report is publicly released, and the province has escalated the investigation, with the accident report set to be issued within 60 days as per regulations after approval by the provincial government.
The delay in reporting this incident, which occurred over ten days ago, has raised public concerns and criticisms.
Netizens commented, “The accident happened on September 13, but it took over ten days to report, indicating the stance of the authorities.” “Reporting today about an event ten days ago, starting with information leaked to a reporter by an informant. Is Zhejiang trying to cover this up?” “Such a major accident happened over ten days ago, and yet they kept it secret!” “The incident on September 13 only coming to light today is purely accidental.”
Some netizens raised concerns, “Line 2 is an unmanned route; could it be a control system malfunction that led to the train losing control? This must be thoroughly investigated and rectified to prevent tragedies from recurring.” “These unmanned trains lack sufficient intelligence; sensors are not sensitive and reliable enough. How many lives must be sacrificed for unmanned and intelligent driving?”
Public information indicates that Shaoxing City Rail Transit Line 2 is an unmanned route. It is the second fully automatic unmanned subway line in Zhejiang Province, following Ningbo Metro Line 5, operating at the highest level of automation (GoA4), equipped with functions like automatic wake-up, door opening, and remote control.