Two railway officials dismissed from their posts after an accident in Shandong province four years ago, in which 72 people died, have been appointed to new senior positions, triggering an outcry online.

Chen Gong , former chief of the Jinan Railway Bureau, now heads a state-owned company in charge of construction and the future management of the biggest high-speed rail project in Shandong.

Meanwhile Chai Tiemin , former party secretary of the bureau, is deputy secretary of the China Railway Special Cargo Services Co under the Ministry of Railways, according to 21stCentury Business Herald.

The report quoted an anonymous source in the rail industry as saying the ministry was suffering from a shortage of talent and such arrangements were normal.

It wasn’t clear how long the two have been in their new positions.

Chen’s new company, Qingdao-Rongcheng Intercity Railway, could not be reached for comment yesterday…