An attendant delivers free water on a high-speed train. (File photo)
(ECNS) - Chinese high speed trains will no longer offer free bottled drinking water to passengers, amid suspicion that the railroad authority concealed bidding information and paid excessive amounts for water, the Beijing News reported.
Passengers who take Gaotie (G trains), the fastest in China, and Dongche (D trains) were accustomed to receiving a free 330 ml bottle of "5100 Tibet Glacier Spring Water." But this service has been stopped since July 26, according to train stations in Tianjin and Hangzhou. An official said China Railway gave the order to terminate the free offer across the country.
The railway authority purchased 200,000 tons of bottled water between 2011 and June 2015, or at least 150 million bottles per year. However, the purchases raised monopoly concerns because the cost was higher than market price. The bidding information was never disclosed.
The water was produced by Tibet 5100 Water Resource Holdings Limited, which is registered in the Cayman Islands and listed on the Hong Kong stock market. The company is run with foreign capital as its major investors are registered in Samoa.
