China railways scandal widens, raising backlash

SHANGHAI (AP) - A widening probe into graft in China's powerful Railways Ministry is raising calls for the government to pull back on its multibillion dollar investment drive into costly high-speed railways.

The Shanghai Daily newspaper reported Tuesday that at least one proposal for scaling down the showcase program is due to be presented to a top advisory group meeting in Beijing this week during the annual session of China's National People's Congress.

Critics of the high-speed railways expansion say ticket costs are too high and the services do not really meet the needs of average travelers in many areas.

The investigation into alleged corruption toppled Railways Minister Liu Zhijun and led to the firing of a senior engineer.
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