CHINA'S railway ministry said it will ensure "absolute safety" in the operation of its high-speed trains after a deadly train crash last month claimed 40 lives and injured 191 others.

The Ministry of Railways said in an article carried by People's Railway Daily posted on its website yesterday that railway staff should fully implement safety measures in order to ensure secure railway transport in the long-term, citing railway minister Sheng Guangzu.

Serious design flaws in railway signaling equipment caused one high-speed train to slam into another near Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province last month, leaving 40 people dead and 191 injured.

The July 23 accident was a "bloody lesson" that left railway personnel with feelings of deep guilt and grief, Sheng told a meeting attended by railway officials on Tuesday.

Railway authorities should work to strenthen control of access of new equipment to China's high-speed railways, he said.