# TAIWAN | Railways (TRA)



## zergcerebrates (Jan 23, 2004)

*New Tilting Train for Taiwan*

*Hitachi is Boosting up Railway System Business in Taiwan - Tilting Train Project* 

Hitachi, Ltd. is now going underway of designing and manufacturing limited express tilting trains for Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA). Its delivery will start at the end of 2006, and total 6 units (48 cars) of tilting trains will be supplied by the end of 2007.

The tilting train is the "A-train" with 8 car vehicles (4 motor cars and 4 trailer cars). Its car body shell is the distortionless aluminum double-skin structure utilizing Hitachi's Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technology. Moreover, the state of the art VVVF inverter units will be provided for the propulsion system.
The tilting system is the controlled-type tilt (maximum 5 degrees tilting angle), which enables to pass the sharp curves quickly and comfortably.

Owing to Hitachi's rich and advanced technologies on tilting trains, travel time between Taipei - Hualien is expected to be shortened after this train is in service.
Hitachi is boosting up railway system business in Taiwan by this tilting train project.


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## ignoramus (Jun 16, 2004)

Looks like TRA is beefing itself up in preparation for competition from THSRC.

Will these trains serve the Taipei - Kaohsiung route, which currently takes 4 hours and 50 minutes to travel between using the fastest train?


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## Bertez (Jul 9, 2005)

Good news.........


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## Guest (May 16, 2006)

Where will be routes of them?

Main rail route in Taiwan, from Taipei to Kaohsiumg will has Shinkanshen trains, so where will go new tilting trains?


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

The tilting trains will be used on the east coast route between Taipei and Hualian. With the addition of these trains the travel time between the two cities will be reduced by thirty minutes - two hours.


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## Trances (May 19, 2003)

Wow again taiwan is pushing it PT like nothing eles


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

*Taipei Nangang Station (HSR), 2015*

*Kaohsiung Underground Railway Project, 2018*
9.75 km rail tunnel

*Taichung Elevated Railway Project, 2015*
21.19 km viaduct

--------------------------------------------------------------------
*TRA Express* (service to Hualien)
*TEMU 2000 "Puyuma", Taipei-Taidong, 2015*

Rolling Stock: Nippon Sharyo 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
*TRA Local Express* (Testing)

*EMU800, Main Line, 2013*

Rolling Stock: TRSC / Nippon Sharyo


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## Facial (Jun 21, 2004)

Excellent pics.


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## Nozumi 300 (Jan 10, 2007)

i was wondering, but why does taiwan like to buy only japanese built trains and not others? like isn't bombardier, alstom, and siemens good as well?


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## zergcerebrates (Jan 23, 2004)

Nozumi 300 said:


> i was wondering, but why does taiwan like to buy only japanese built trains and not others? like isn't bombardier, alstom, and siemens good as well?


It might have to do with politics. I don't think price is a factor since they're about the same perhaps when parts are needed they can also obtain it from Japan faster. Another explanation is Taiwanese attitude towards Japan, they typically favor Japanese stuff. Just like Japanese like western stuff.
No offense but Taiwanese are also known as Japanese worshippers in Asia.


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## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

Japanese trains have a good reputation for reliability and quality, although some of that reputation may come from Japan's railway network management itself. Generally, the proximity and the quality make Japanese equipment popular. Politics and pro-Japan sentiment may also be reasons; one more piece of evidence of this is the tendency to hire Japanese architects for major projects. But whatever is safe, reliable and efficient will make the day, and I think the day that Japanese rolling stock suffers from poor reputation is not anywhere in the visible future =P


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## allan_dude (Apr 14, 2005)

Taiwan now is like an extension of JR


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## Nozumi 300 (Jan 10, 2007)

allan_dude said:


> Taiwan now is like an extension of JR


wouldn't be surprised in the future that Japan and Taiwan build a tunnel to connect with each other:runaway:


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## carpanatomy (Jul 1, 2004)

Nozumi 300 said:


> i was wondering, but why does taiwan like to buy only japanese built trains and not others? like isn't bombardier, alstom, and siemens good as well?


The Muzha line extention in Taipei MRT is actually a Bombardier system.

Personally I like Bombardier.... it's the best thing on the rail....!


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## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

I personally like the new Bombardier train serving the Guangshen (Guangzhou-Shenzhen) line in Guangdong province.

However, I think Bombardier slipped a little when providing mass-transit trainsets to Shanghai and Guangzhou....they looked identical and had cold, sterile interior lighting. Let's hope they've got their tastes back on track with the new mini-trains for Taipei.


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## carpanatomy (Jul 1, 2004)

I took this shot at Taipei County Hall, on my way to the Banciao TRA/HSR/MRT station.

If I don't understand Chinese, I will be having a big problem understand this abbreviated destination signs.




EDIT: 

TRA is the official company name for Taiwan Rail Administration, while HSR (High Speed Rail), and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) are the types of transportation technology.

Correct name should be THSR & TRTC, if Taipei County wants to align with TRA and TRA logo. (note the HSR/MRT are not their real company logo, it show a graphic symbol of the vehicle).

Perhap I should send an email to the Taipei County Hall, to correct this problem.


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## zergcerebrates (Jan 23, 2004)

superchan7 said:


> I personally like the new Bombardier train serving the Guangshen (Guangzhou-Shenzhen) line in Guangdong province.
> 
> .




Same here I think they look better than this TRA Express.


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## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

carpanatomy said:


> I took this shot at Taipei County Hall, on my way to the Banciao TRA/HSR/MRT station.
> 
> If I don't understand Chinese, I will be having a big problem understand this abbreviated destination signs.
> 
> ...


I don't think this is a major problem as English signage is fairly inconsistent across Taiwan. Unless the westerner population in Taipei rises to a horrific double-digit percentage, few will complain. Those who do are expecting too much out of a Chinese-language society.


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## maxxam80 (Apr 6, 2003)

are westerners not like in Taiwan?

I am spending a month there this summer:nuts:


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

zergcerebrates said:


> It might have to do with politics. I don't think price is a factor since they're about the same perhaps when parts are needed they can also obtain it from Japan faster.


hno: 



zergcerebrates said:


> Another explanation is Taiwanese attitude towards Japan, they typically favor Japanese stuff. Just like Japanese like western stuff.
> No offense but Taiwanese are also known as Japanese worshippers in Asia.


hno: 

The reason the rolling stock is sourced from Japan is that both JR and the TRA operate narrow gauge railways (1067 mm). Moreover, the Japanese manufacturers are much better than their Western counterparts at suiting their sales proposals to the Taiwanese market. 

In the past, Taiwan has ordered from Rotem, Alstom, Union Wagon (S.A), and others, but reliability has always been a problem.


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

superchan7 said:


> Politics and pro-Japan sentiment may also be reasons; one more piece of evidence of this is the tendency to hire Japanese architects for major projects.


Taiwan uses the same building code as Japan, so naturally Japanese architects have a competitive advantage over other rivals. Since the codes were adopted during the Chiang era, I think describing it as pro-Japan sentiment is overstating the case.


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## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

I've heard of the problems with the Rotem stock on the Tze-Chiang Hao train...are they planning to augment the fleet for those lines?


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

The TRA are in the process of conducting a open tender for an additional 316 cars. The new EMU "800", maximum speed of 130/kph, will be introduced on the western trunk line in 2009.

Companies that have expressed an interest in bidding for the EMU 800 contract include; Rotem, Hitachi, and TRSC/Nippon Sharyo.


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

EMU 800









Japan-Taiwan joint venture wins order for 296 train cars in Taiwan
Sunday 16th January, 03:51 AM JST

NAGOYA — Japanese rail car manufacturer Nippon Sharyo Ltd and trading house Sumitomo Corp said that a Taiwanese train car maker they have jointly set up with local partners has won an order for *296 commuter train cars *from the Taiwan Railways Administration.

Under the 44 billion yen deal, the joint venture Taiwan Rolling Stock Co, which was set up in 2002, plans to deliver the cars from 2012 through 2015, the Japanese firms said.

The low-floor train cars will run in Taipei’s suburban areas and on lines connecting between major cities in Taiwan at a speed of up to 130 kilometers per hour.


New Taidong Express









Sumitomo and Nippon Sharyo wins train sets supply deal in Taiwan

Monday, 10 Jan 2011, Japanese suppliers Sumitomo Corporation and Nippon Sharyo confirmed on January 6th 2011 that they had signed a TWD 10.6 billion contract to supply Taiwan Railway Administration with *17 inter city tilting train sets (136 rail cars)* capable of operation at 150 kilometers per hour.

Under the deal agreed on December 31st 2010, the eight car EMUs are due to be delivered in 2012-14 for use on Taroko Express services between Taipei and Hualien on TRA's 1.067 mm gauge east coast route. The aluminium bodied trains will feature wheelchair access, luggage and bicycle spaces and onboard vending machines.

The east coast line was electrified at 25 kV 60 Hz in 2003, and TRA introduced its first tilting trains in April 2007, helping to shorten journey times and making rail more competitive with the island's improved roads.

TRA acquired an initial build of six 8 car tilting train sets from Marubeni and Hitachi to launch the Taroko Express services. The railway had planned to exercise an option for a further 48 vehicles in 2009, but called new tenders after it failed to agree terms with the suppliers because of changing exchange rates. Three rounds of bidding were held in the new competition, but most bidders were reportedly unable to meet TRA's requirements in terms of price and delivery schedule.


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanks for updating this thread tr. I was wondering where it was. Taiwan's railways need to be showcased more here.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Updated the thread title to fit with the others. All non HSR topics can now be put in here for Taiwan.


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## nemu (Jan 19, 2008)

The EMU800 render looks impressive. They don't look like commuter trains though, more like an inter city express.


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## tr (May 30, 2004)

沙崙線 Shalun Line, Tainan TRA - Tainan HSR 
Train: Rotem, EMU600


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

Hsinchu - Jhubei (Liujia) [六家] is completed.


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## Awesome.e (Aug 16, 2009)

Love it!


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

Ouch. 

Taroko Express crash kills 1, injures 26

A speeding Taroko Express train yesterday rammed into the rear of a heavy-duty gravel truck in northern Taiwan, killing the train driver and leaving 26 injured, none critically.
The truck driver, who is being blamed for the crash, managed to narrowly escape certain death by jumping off the truck before the impact. Police yesterday interviewed the truck driver, a man identified by his surname Peng, after his brief, mysterious “disappearance” from the scene, and may charge him with negligent manslaughter.

The train, with 250 passengers on board, was heading north at 8:42 a.m., when it hit the truck at a crossing on Yangmei's Yongmei Road. It kept going after the impact, pushing the damaged truck along for 300 meters, until it reached the Puxin Railway Station in downtown Yangmei.

The Puxin Railway Station was immediately shut down, and south- and north-bound trains could go no further south than the Zhongli Railway Station in the north and no further north than the Yangmei Railroad Station south of the Puxin Railway Station, respectively. As train service was disrupted, long backups were reported on the major highways and roads nearby. As of press time, emergency crews were still combing the scene of the accident and resumption of normal train service was not expected until this morning.

According to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA, 臺灣鐵路管理局), the train's locomotive was completely destroyed and a section of railroad and a rail switch were damaged. The truck was also totaled.

Security cameras show the gravel truck driven by Peng entered the level crossing immediately after another truck, without keeping a safe distance. When the driver of the first truck stepped on the brake after clearing the tracks, Peng also braked to avoid a rear-end collision and got caught on the tracks.

Tsai, the train driver killed in the crash, was the father of an only son, graduated third from his class at the TRA Training Center and has been a fine train driver twice honored for this meritorious performance since he officially joined TRA in 1988. He had been asked to help train a number of female rookies before his untimely death.

With one Taroko locomotive gone, the TRA will have to rely on the remaining five to transport passengers on the 86.6-km North-Link Line, in the central section of the Eastern Line of the TRA, including the 7.4-km segment between Beipu in Hsinchu and Hualien Port, during the Chinese New Year holidays. A slower PP Ziqiang locomotive will be used as a stopgap.

Shortly after the accident, the TRA reassured people who have reserved tickets for service on the North-Link Line during the Chinese New Year Holidays will not be affected, while cautioning them to expect an up-to-30-minute increase in travel time.

The TRA loss is estimated at NT$200 million, according to officials.


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## hmmwv (Jul 19, 2006)

Wow what kind of a idiot who doesn't make sure there are enough clearance before crossing train tracks. Miraculously no body on the platform was killed, the way the truck was pushed through the station is crazy.


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

Is this grade crossing protected by gates? It's hard to tell from the close-circuit video sample. Also, are there some kind of optical obstruction sensors installed at grade crossings? It may have at least warned the driver of the train a few seconds earlier, and gave him time to at least brake a few seconds faster. Also, was this a through train or was it going to stop at the station? Is the stretch of track a straight line, or is there a curve before the grade crossing that prevents the train driver from seeing the condition ahead?


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

k.k.jetcar said:


> Is this grade crossing protected by gates? It's hard to tell from the close-circuit video sample. Also, are there some kind of optical obstruction sensors installed at grade crossings? It may have at least warned the driver of the train a few seconds earlier, and gave him time to at least brake a few seconds faster. Also, was this a through train or was it going to stop at the station? Is the stretch of track a straight line, or is there a curve before the grade crossing that prevents the train driver from seeing the condition ahead?


This is the Google Earth coordinates of the crash site: 

24°55'01.58" N 121°10'52.11" E










The crossing is gate-protected, like all of Taiwan's RR crossings. The truck simply followed the truck before it and stopped on the tracks when the truck before it stopped for a red light. The collision happened only twenty seconds after the truck had stopped, and as you can see, there IS a curve. The Taroko is Taiwan's only tilting train in service, with only six trainsets in service (now five). It can negotiate curves at speeds of 130 km/h. Since Puxin is a small station, it can naturally be assumed that the train was not stopping at the station. 

Ouch.


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

This brings up an interesting point:
Should we eliminate at-grade crossings?


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

Blackraven said:


> This brings up an interesting point:
> Should we eliminate at-grade crossings?


I think it depends on the level of urbanization along the tracks. If a road frequently experiences traffic jams because of the trains, and if the costs are deemed worthwhile, then yes, the grades should be separated. Taipei has already done that over a decade back, and some other cities want to as well, but again, the costs are prohibitively expensive. 

As for this incident, I don't think Puxin even counts as urban, and I don't think that Taiwan should pour millions of NT just to avoid car-train collisions. The crossings are already a lot safer than that of the US'.


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

> The crossing is gate-protected, like all of Taiwan's RR crossings. The truck simply followed the truck before it and stopped on the tracks when the truck before it stopped for a red light. The collision happened only twenty seconds after the truck had stopped, and as you can see, there IS a curve. The Taroko is Taiwan's only tilting train in service, with only six trainsets in service (now five). It can negotiate curves at speeds of 130 km/h. Since Puxin is a small station, it can naturally be assumed that the train was not stopping at the station.


Seems like a combination of factors led to this accident, though ultimately it was the truck drivers fault for following too closely. I see the grade crossing serves a cement (?) plant (private crossing), rather than being part of a public through road. Perhaps the cement company in cooperation with TRA needs to institute a more strict protocol for vehicle traffic using this crossing, such as adding a human crossing guard, or resetting the grade crossing timing so that it activates sooner for an oncoming train.


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## hmmwv (Jul 19, 2006)

This is a very close call because there are numerous houses right next to the track too, if the train derailed slightly farther the cars can destroy a lot of houses. Trains going through stations at speed is awesome to watch, but quite scary too.


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## Jay (Oct 7, 2004)

Was the truck empty? 

I can see the train being heavily damaged if the truck was full of a few dozen tons of dirt, but without anything?


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## hmmwv (Jul 19, 2006)

Judging from this picture the truck is empty.










However the train's nose is heavily damaged resulting in the driver's death.









Pics from China Post.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Fri, Feb 07, 2014 
*Taipei-Taitung rail trips will shorten later this year: TRA*
Taipei Times

The travel time between Taipei and Taitung could be shortened to three-and-a-half hours after more Puyuma Express trains enter service and the railway line between Hualien and Taitung is electrified, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) officials said yesterday.

Railway Reconstruction Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said the electrified Hualien-Taitung line is scheduled to be opened by the end of June, adding that testing of service on the line would begin next month and go on for about three months.

TRA Transportation Department head Du Wei (杜微) said the 17 Puyuma Express tilting trains could go straight from Taipei to Taitung.

Since Taitung-bound passengers will no longer need to switch to diesel-powered trains at the Hualien Railway Station, the estimated travel time between Taipei and Taitung would drop from four-and-a-half hours to three-and-a-half.

TRA’s schedule is to be overhauled in July to reflect the addition of the new trains, Du said.

“Travelers from Taipei can expect a Puyuma Express train to Hualien every 30 minutes during peak hours, including Friday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon,” he said.

The interval for Tzuchiang-class express trains, the top class, during non-peak hours could also be reduced, from 37 minutes to 30 minutes, he said.

TRA officials said the number of the Tzuchiang-class trains to Taitung could be increased from 14 per day to 20 on weekdays and 25 on weekends after the electrification project is completed.

The railway administration’s transport capacity to Hualien will be raised by 23 percent to 25 percent, while that to Taitung will go up by 13 percent to 40 percent.

The Puyuma Express tilting train service between Taipei and Hualien began on Feb. 6 last year.


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Miaoli Station 苗栗車站, Taiwan Railway 台灣鐵路局


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7080


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7057


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7065


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7085


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7076


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7078


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7067


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Miaoli Station 苗栗車站, Taiwan Railway 台灣鐵路局


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7068


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7070


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7095


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7103


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7094


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7092


Flickr 上 小林ひろし 的 DSC_7100


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...aipei-–-toucheng-direct-line.html?channel=542
> 
> *Route selected for Taipei – Toucheng direct line*
> Wednesday, April 23, 2014
> ...


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

*Restored steamer CT273 goes for a test run*

The test run distance was about 125km.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...lien-taitung-electrification-inaugurated.html
> 
> *Hualien – Taitung electrification inaugurated*
> 30 Jun 2014
> ...


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_Some more info on the above development :_
*Taipei-to-Hualien electrified train service launched*
29 June 2014
Taipei Times

The rail travel time between Taipei and Taitung has been shortened to three hours and 30 minutes following the launch of an electrified train service from Hualien to Taitung yesterday.

The government had initially planned to launch the electrified line in March next year.

President Ma Ying-jeou, who made an electrified railway line between Hualien and Taitung one of his campaign promises in 2008, said at the inauguration ceremony yesterday that he decided to reduce the construction period of the project from seven years to five years after he took office.

He said that workers faced many difficulties during construction, including complicated geological conditions and inclement weather.

Now I do not have to apologize to the people in Taitung County every time I come here to visit, Ma said, adding that the needs of the people in the county have been largely ignored in the past and the electrified railway service is in part amending for that.

To ease demand for tickets on weekends, Ma said the Taiwan Railways Administration should consider offering discount tickets for tourists traveling on weekdays.

Taitung County Commissioner Justin Huang said the number of tourists visiting Taitung has increased by 50 percent in recent years, but the electrified train service will only increase the transport capacity by a maximum of 40 percent.

He asked the agency to offer express trains from Taipei to Taitung without stopping at Hualien.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih said that some sections of the current railway route have yet to be equipped with double tracks.

Because of this situation, trains have to wait to at Hualien, he said.

Only when the double-track system is available on the entire route can a nonstop train from Taipei to Taitung be possible, Yeh said, adding that the agency would this year start evaluating the possibility of turning the entire Hualien to Taitung railway line into a double-track system.

According to Yeh, the ministry is scheduled to begin the electrification of the South Link Railway by the end of this year, which he said was the last mile of the railway network that has yet to be electrified.

The driver of the pilot train service was 57-year-old Mai Ming-ji, a Puyuma Aborigine from Taitung. Having been a train driver for 22 years, Mai said he was honored to be the first conductor of the Puyuma Express after the Huanlien to Taitung railway line became electrified.

Passengers traveling to Hualien in the Puyuma Express can reach the destination in two hours after their electrification project is completed, whereas those traveling on the same express train can do so in 3.5 hours. The fastest train from Taipei to Taitung stops only at the Hualien and Yuli stations en route.

In the past, passengers to Taitung had to switch from the electricity-powered trains to diesel-powered ones at Hualien Railway Station, with the estimated travel time at 4.5 hours.

The electrified railway line is about 166km and passes 28 stations.

The railway line along the nations west coast was completely electrified in 1979.

The agency said there will be two weeks of trial operations that ends on July 15.

Starting on July 16, all 17 sets of Puyuma Express trains will be in operation. The highest speed they can is reach 130kph.

Meanwhile, the Taitung County Government also worked with the agency to have various tourist attractions in Taitung painted on the body of one set of Puyuma Express carriages.

The county government is also to launch a Puyuma bus service on Tuesday next week.

Aside from meeting the needs of local residents for medical, education and food services, the bus is also to take visitors to all major tourist attractions in the downtown area.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taichung
By *jacklatte* from dcfever :


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Tanwen Station 談文車站, Miaoli 苗栗, Taiwan 台灣


browncolour said:


> Flickr 上 adar.que 的 IMG_2324
> 
> 
> Flickr 上 adar.que 的 IMG_2330
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Dounan Station 斗南站, Yunlin 雲林, Taiwan 台灣[/SIZE]



browncolour said:


> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 斗南車站
> 
> 
> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 斗南車站
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Dounan Station 斗南站, Yunlin 雲林, Taiwan 台灣



browncolour said:


> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 斗南車站
> 
> 
> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 斗南車站
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Zhuifen Station 追分車站, Taichung 台中, Taiwan 台灣



browncolour said:


> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 追分車站
> 
> 
> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 追分車站
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Chenggong Station 成功站, Taichung 台中, Taiwan 台灣[/SIZE]



browncolour said:


> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 成功車站
> 
> 
> Flickr 上 billy1125 的 成功車站
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Taipei Railway Station 台北車站



browncolour said:


> Untitled by billy1125, on Flickr
> 
> Untitled by billy1125, on Flickr
> 
> ...


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## browncolour (Dec 21, 2010)

Taipei Railway Station 台北車站



browncolour said:


> TEMU1000 型電聯車，太魯閣號 by billy1125, on Flickr
> 
> Untitled by billy1125, on Flickr
> 
> ...


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## zhiwuren (Dec 25, 2014)

*Freight in Taiwan*

I've been living in China for a year now. Every time I take a long distance train I am glued to the window, and am constantly surprised by how similar the freight is to America, and different from the rest of Asia. I'm curious, how is Taiwan's freight network? I cannot find much specific information online. It is obviously much smaller scale than China. Is it also running large amounts of mixed cargo, or is it mostly intermodal like Japan and Korea? Are the locomotives electrified like those countries? Where are the major yards and ports?


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

zhiwuren said:


> I've been living in China for a year now. Every time I take a long distance train I am glued to the window, and am constantly surprised by how similar the freight is to America, and different from the rest of Asia. I'm curious, how is Taiwan's freight network? I cannot find much specific information online. It is obviously much smaller scale than China. Is it also running large amounts of mixed cargo, or is it mostly intermodal like Japan and Korea? Are the locomotives electrified like those countries? Where are the major yards and ports?


I've actually chatted with TRA engineers about the topic of freight. Aside from cheap massive bulk materials such as concrete, coal, or water, most of Taiwan's freight is carried by truck. 

It simply doesn't make sense to transport freight packages 150km between expensive rail terminals only to truck them another 50km to their destination.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Global Rail News:



> http://www.globalrailnews.com/blog/2015/01/08/taiwan-orders-more-puyuma-express-tilting-trains/
> 
> *Taiwan orders more Puyuma Express tilting trains*
> 8 JAN, 2015
> ...


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)




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## Awesome.e (Aug 16, 2009)

What is the latest construction update on the Taichung Railway elevation and Kaohsiung railway underground project?


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

Awesome.e said:


> What is the latest construction update on the Taichung Railway elevation and Kaohsiung railway underground project?


Here it is, taken from Taiwan subforum:



aboutjgeo said:


> not sure if you read chinese. if you do, the official RRB website updates quite frequently
> 
> http://www.rrb.gov.tw/
> 
> ...


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## Mori778 (Jul 22, 2015)

Excellent pics.


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

On second look, I find it interesting that TRA is pulling out all the stops and going full out with ballastless slab track. The agency must feel hard pressed to stay competitve (against THSR), as these new railway viaducts bear more resemblance to a mini-HSR than to what is considered "ordinary" heavy rail.


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## 00Zy99 (Mar 4, 2013)

Silver Swordsman said:


> On second look, I find it interesting that TRA is pulling out all the stops and going full out with ballastless slab track. The agency must feel hard pressed to stay competitve (against THSR), as these new railway viaducts bear more resemblance to a mini-HSR than to what is considered "ordinary" heavy rail.


It IS impressive, but some of the private railways around Tokyo are doing similar things. 

-------------------------------------

I would like to know if the Alishan Forest Railway is looking to re-open. I also have seen pictures of another Forest Railway in the Northeast of Taiwan in what is now a park. Might that see some tourist runs someday?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Our tickets back to Kaohsiung! by Connie Ma, on Flickr


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

00Zy99 said:


> It IS impressive, but some of the private railways around Tokyo are doing similar things.
> 
> -------------------------------------
> 
> I would like to know if the Alishan Forest Railway is looking to re-open. I also have seen pictures of another Forest Railway in the Northeast of Taiwan in what is now a park. Might that see some tourist runs someday?


I think the northeast line is the Pingxi Line. Unfortunately, the full trip between Chiayi and Alishan is probably going to remain unavailable for awhile, as the recent typhoon caused another series of washouts and landslides. Some of the landslides were serious enough that they actually took out tunneled sections of the track as well.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Banqiao Railway Station by Chih-Hao Tsai, on Flickr


Banqiao Railway Station by Chih-Hao Tsai, on Flickr


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## Noodles7 (Jan 18, 2008)

The old Taipei railway workshop has long since been closed and replaced, but there's a lot of talk going on about what to do with it. Many conservationists want it turned into a railway museum. It also has some kind of special thermal baths inside it (If I read the Chinese correctly). On the other hand, due to it's location in the Xinyi district (same as Taipei 101) and consequent high land value, the TRA wants to sell the land for development.

IMAG4177 by Noodlestaiwan7, on Flickr

IMAG4178 by Noodlestaiwan7, on Flickr


Here is the recently finished new Songshan station in Taipei city:

IMAG4182 by Noodlestaiwan7, on Flickr


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

> Many conservationists want it turned into a railway museum. It also has some kind of special thermal baths inside it (If I read the Chinese correctly). On the other hand, due to it's location in the Xinyi district (same as Taipei 101) and consequent high land value, the TRA wants to sell the land for development.


Looking at the aerial view of the site, it is quite large- perhaps they can save about a third of the site for a museum, including the most historic/significant buildings, and redevelop the remainder for high density office/retail/high rise residential. Some of the workshop buildings could be configured into a quite nice retail space, much like the Chelsea Market in NYC, which uses the old Nabisco factory building. They could name the development "Railway Heights" or the like.

*addtl note:


> It also has some kind of special thermal baths inside it


Yes, it does. Google street view has some shots of the inside of the property:
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.047...8/Mn07Knrww50/w203-h101-n-k-no/!7i8704!8i4352
This, renovated, could also become a destination, with a retro feel.


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## Noodles7 (Jan 18, 2008)

I think a compromise along those lines would be best. Saving some of the site and turning it into a museum would be great but not developing any of it would be a waste of central land. When the Taipei dome project eventually finishes it will only serve top raise the land value even further, so I suspect that some development will occur on site. It would be a shame to lose the baths, so hopefully they preserve them and perhaps a couple of warehouses.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

May 24, 2016 
*TRA to start trial run of ‘real-name’ ticket system*
HOME FOR HOLIDAYS : The name-checking system is aimed at helping Hualien and Taitung residents who have difficulty booking tickets during peak seasons
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration yesterday said it would start trial runs next week of a “real-name” ticketing system for residents of Hualien and Taitung counties purchasing round-trip tickets to the east coast during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The system, which is to begin its trial run on Wednesday next week, has been proposed as a way to ensure that those born in Hualien and Taitung counties can purchase tickets to go home during the big three national holidays — the Lunar New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival — when tickets are in high demand.

The real-name system is to apply to passengers on the eastbound Puyuma Express to Taitung, departing Shulin Station at 7:43am on June 9, and to passengers on the westbound Puyuma Express train to Shulin, departing Taitung at 2:45pm on June 12.

Those who want to purchase tickets for those two trains can start booking tickets at 6am on Wednesday next week, the TRA said.

Only passengers whose personal identification card numbers begin with the letters U or V — which are assigned to people born in Hualien and Taitung — will be able to buy tickets under the real-name system.

Each person can purchase no more than three roundtrip tickets using three qualified ID cards, it said.


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## k.k.jetcar (Jul 17, 2008)

*TRA EMU700 in Keikyu colors*

TRA has a sister railway relationship with Tokyo area railway Keikyu. Recently an EMU700 was transformed using Keikyu colors, based on the Keikyu 800 series emu. This trainset will run in these colors until October 12, primarily on local services between Yilan-Taipei-Changhua.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6742 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Jul 09, 2016 
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
*Kaohsiung station plan approved *

_Photos : www.mecanoo.nl/Projects/project/170/Kaohsiung-Train-Station?t=0_

Design plans for a remodeling of the historic Kaohsiung Railway Station submitted by the Dutch design studio Mecanoo have been approved by the Kaohsiung Urban Development Bureau, the bureau announced on Thursday.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ plans for renovating Kaohsiung Railway Station began in 2000, but locals criticized initial plans, saying they lacked functionality, both from business and transportation points of view, and did not fit into the surroundings.

In response, the city held a series of meetings on the issues and established a communication platform to exchange ideas. The ministry then entrusted the station’s design to Mecanoo, which created a “stunning” design that both the local and central governments were pleased with, city officials said.

“The station design provides a large outdoor activity area for local residents and, taking into account the stifling heat of the south, provides lots of greenery for shade, emulating the experience of being in a traditional Taiwanese temple courtyard. The unconventional oval-shaped lights in the canopy’s ceiling create impressions of a temple lantern festival,” Kaohsiung Urban Development Bureau Director-General Lee Yi-de (李怡德) said.

Parallel walking trails and cycling paths stretch for 15km through the top of the canopy connecting the eastern and western peripheries. Climbing the station’s canopies, visitors can take in the beauty of the Shoushan (壽山) and Beidawu (北大武山) mountains in the distance.

“To create a sense of melding the old and the new, the old colonial-era Japanese station is to be moved to a spot along the central axis of the new station. The encircling of the old station by the new one will lend itself to an atmosphere of continued traditions,” Lee said.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

Will there be any reserve for perspective HSR platforms there?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

dimlys1994 said:


> Will there be any reserve for perspective HSR platforms there?


No plans to move the HSR further down from Zuoying.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/633/6335895.html


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Mon, Aug 15, 2016 
*TRA hoping to resolve strike threat*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said that it is reviewing the work schedule of station employees and will communicate with its workers’ union after conductors and station staff threatened to go on strike during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday next month.

The Chinese-language Apple Daily yesterday published a work schedule provided by a TRA station employee who wanted to remain anonymous, showing that some station employees were assigned to work from 8pm to 8am, followed by 24 hours of rest and then an eight-hour shift that starts at 8am.

Although the schedule gives the employees a 24-hour break between the two work days, they said they are essentially inside a railway station for three straight days and do not receive additional pay for working the night shift.

The Apple Daily said that 400 conductors and station employees have united in their demand for better schedules.

Conductors asked for at least eight hours of rest when they need to spend the night outside their home cities.

Station employees said the agency needs to change the way the schedule is arranged so that they can get a full day off, adding that those working the night shift should get additional pay.

Should the agency fail to meet their demands, the employees said they will mobilize 4,000 TRA cabin crew to take the long Mid-Autumn Festival weekend off.

The holiday runs from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

August 18, 2016 
*Train drivers say might go ahead with strike*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train drivers yesterday said that they could stick with their plan to go on strike during the long Mid-Autumn Festival holiday weekend if their demand to reduce the train service is not accepted by the railway.

The TRA was supposed to announce the measures that it would use to transport homebound passengers during the festival holiday at noon yesterday after a trilateral negotiation between TRA Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉), the Railway Workers Union and the Train Drivers Union.

Representatives of the drivers union were reported to have left before the meeting ended, as they were upset that the TRA has yet to discuss adjusting the work schedule for drivers and was in hurry to tell train passengers how they could book their tickets, which went on sale at noon yesterday.

The drivers union said that it agreed to the negotiate in the first place because the TRA promised to spend the next three days talking about what it could do to avoid overworking the drivers.

Union members said they now felt pressured to accept the terms set by the TRA management when the latter made the announcement before any agreement was reached.

As the union has secured the signatures of almost 95 percent of the drivers for its petition, the union said that it would take the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday off if the railway does not resolve the issue.

The TRA said that it is planning to enforce its plan to transport passengers from Sept. 14 and Sept. 19, adding 203 additional trains on the schedule. They include 163 train services to the east coast and 40 along the west coast.

Between Sept. 15 and Sept. 18, the TRA has planned to have 18 commuter trains with reserved seats traveling between Shulin to Luodong. Travelers boarding any one of the 18 trains would need to pay only NT$100 if they travel from Shulin and Luodong, the TRA said.

Meanwhile, the TRA said that it would dispatch 14 additional Tzuchiang-class express trains on Sept. 14, Sept. 15 and Sept. 18 to transport passengers to the east coast.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

好熱喔！來體驗一次  by CheeR Huang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Nov. 01, 2016 
*Railway site maintenance up to DGH, Taoyuan says*

The Taoyuan City Government said that maintenance of the remaining section of the first railway to be built in the nation, located in the city’s Gueishan District (龜山), is not its responsibility, but that of the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH).

The city was responding to a comment by Taoyuan City Councilor Fan Kang-hsiang (范綱祥) of the Democratic Progressive Party, who raised the issue during a council session on Thursday, saying that the Gueilunling Railway Section heritage site is ill-maintained, shows signs of structural damage and is covered with trash.

Taoyuan is home to only 17 heritage sites out of the 815 across the nation and should exert more effort to care for the few it has, Fan said.

The site was part of a railway line connecting Taipei to Hsinchu that was built by then-Taiwan governor Liu Ming-chuan (劉銘傳) in 1893.

Despite being named a county-designated heritage site in 2008 — and later upgraded to a city-designated heritage site following Taoyuan’s elevation to a special municipality in 2014 — Fan said the site had not been given due care.

As the railway section is close to a river, the trash littering the site might contaminate the water, he said, adding that parts of the railway on the Second Jianshan Bridge (尖山) show signs of structural damage, which might cause the entire section to collapse if it is not reinforced.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

278. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

傘型車庫 迴轉軌道 by FancyFantacy, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2016/11/05 by 小斌 車, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_0205 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

278. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

桃園縣_4 by Taiwan's Riccardo, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8262 Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## nanth_abc (Aug 21, 2007)

Is there a plan for new route expansion of Taiwan railway?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC08209 by Zhiyong Lim, on Flickr


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## Noodles7 (Jan 18, 2008)

nanth_abc said:


> Is there a plan for new route expansion of Taiwan railway?


All that I know of at the moment is the plan to build a shortcut on the northeastern line between Nangang and Yilan. Currently all rains both express and local traverse the congested coastal line that goes through Ruifang, Fulong, Waiao etc. The TRA want to build a more direct route after trains leave Nangang. This route would see express trains skip all of the northeastern coastal line and get to Yilan much quicker than they currently do


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Noodles7 said:


> All that I know of at the moment is the plan to build a shortcut on the northeastern line between Nangang and Yilan. Currently all rains both express and local traverse the congested coastal line that goes through Ruifang, Fulong, Waiao etc. The TRA want to build a more direct route after trains leave Nangang. This route would see express trains skip all of the northeastern coastal line and get to Yilan much quicker than they currently do


Hmm .. they should have built rail capability as an add-on to the vehicular tunnel between Taipei and Yilan.

I opted to take one of the frequent buses between Xinyi district and Yilan, then hop on the train there to Hualien.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Dec. 25, 2016 
*Taiwan, India ink railway heritage deal*
SOUTHERN EXPERIENCE : Officials said that they would learn from India, as they push for the Alishan Forest Railway to be included among world heritage sites
Taipei Times with CNA _Excerpt_

Taiwan and India yesterday in Chiayi signed a letter of intent to cooperate over railway heritage, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India director James Tien (田中光) and Sriharan Madhusudhanan, director of the India-Taipei Association, signed the letter on behalf of their respective governments.

The ministry said that Taiwan and India each constructed mountain railways in the late 19th century and early 20th century, including the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi and systems such as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kalka Shimla Railway and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in India.

Through the letter the two nations would further engage in cooperation for the protection, safeguarding and management of their mountain railway heritage, the ministry said.

The letter is the third bilateral document signed by Taiwan and India this year, following an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation.

The letter is part of the Taipei’s “new southbound policy” of sharing resources and promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation with nations in Southeast Asia, as well as India, New Zealand and Australia.

The letter will advance the tourism industries in Taiwan and India, the ministry said.

Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) said that UNESCO has registered five railways as world heritages, all of which are alpine railways and three of which are in India.

The council will learn from India’s experience in a bid to push for the Alishan Forest Railway to be included among the world heritage sites, Weng said.


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## 00Zy99 (Mar 4, 2013)

Huzzah!

Excellent news for everyone as the railways start to work together.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_9908 by chaoming, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Feb 9, 2017 
*MOTC condemns TRA strike*
MADE AWARE : The TRA has defended its three-shift rotor system, saying that it has been in place since 1988 and has been approved by the Taipei City Government
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said that while it is committed to improving working conditions for Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) workers, it cannot condone a strike held over the Lunar New Year holiday that was meant to disrupt railway operations.

Ministry of Transportation and Communications Deputy Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said that 370 Taiwan Railway Union members took days off during the holiday period to protest what they perceive to be deteriorating labor conditions.

The TRA said it would determine the fate of those workers at a disciplinary committee meeting, adding that some people could lose their jobs for failing to request leave.

The union said that it has planned to mobilize 200 union members to protest at the ministry’s office in Taipei today.

“The union knows that the ministry is in the process of addressing their appeals. However, the union still launched strike action and caused panic among the general public, which is why the workers must be penalized,” Wang said.

Regarding the union’s request to reform the TRA’s three-shift work schedule, Wang said that the railway operator has used the system since 1988, following negotiations between workers and management as required by the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).

The work schedule has been approved by the Taipei Department of Labor, Wang said.

“Railway workers are told about the three-shift work schedule when they apply for a job, which is a specific requirement that is clearly listed in the registration manual,” Wang said.

The Ministry of Labor said that the TRA’s three-shift work schedule does not contravene the new labor laws, Wang added.


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## jhung713 (Jul 23, 2012)

20170130-DSCF3755 by Jackson Hung, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Railway by bunya541, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

普悠瑪 by Stephen Wu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA EMU800-ED882, Xike by Howard Pulling, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Wed, Mar 29, 2017 
*New TRA announcement policy aimed at migrants*
NINE STATIONS : Platform and departure information in Indonesian and Vietnamese will be aired at stations that see large numbers of migrant workers over weekends
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Starting on Saturday, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) public announcements will also be made in Indonesian and Vietnamese at nine railway stations, mostly along the west coast, agency officials said yesterday.

These stations are in Taipei, New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), Taoyuan, Taoyuan’s Jhungli District (中壢), Taichung, Changhua, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, which have been identified as ones that are frequently used by migrant workers from Southeast Asian countries.

The majority of migrant workers are from Indonesia and Vietnam, so announcements in Indonesian and Vietnamese would be broadcast inside the stations on weekends, when migrant workers usually gather to meet friends.

The announcements will be platform information for departing trains and safety instructions, while Indonesian and Vietnamese-speaking volunteers will also be at the visitor centers in these stations on weekends, the TRA said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Li-chan (林麗禪), a Cambodian immigrant of Chinese descent, helped make the announcement service available, the agency said.

Having lived in Taiwan for almost two decades, Lin said she pushed for such services because Taiwan is now home to about 500,000 immigrants, some of whom want to contribute to local society, while the number of migrant workers has reached 630,000, and most depend heavily on the railway system.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Fri, Apr 07, 2017 
*Railways union urges ministry to stand up to TRA*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Ministry of Labor should stand up to the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) over the enforcement of labor rules, the Taiwan Railways Union said yesterday, accusing the agency of disrespecting the ministry’s Unfair Labor Practices Adjudication Board.

About 20 union members and labor rights advocates joined the board’s first hearing on the TRA’s response to union members “taking a legal holiday” during the Lunar New Year holiday.

“The Taiwan Railways Administration should wait for the board’s ruling before making any decision. If it continues to mark our members as being absent without leave, even if the board rules to the contrary, that would be tantamount to holding the board’s ruling in contempt,” union president Wang Jieh (王傑) said, criticizing TRA Director-General Jason Lu’s (鹿潔身) statement that the agency would hand out demerits to union members regardless of the board’s ruling.

Union members refused to work during the Lunar New Year holiday to protest the agency’s refusal to consider shift changes, saying they were entitled to time off during the national holiday.

Lu has said that while the agency would wait until after the board’s ruling to announce the names of those who will be punished, its decision will be based solely on the ruling of an internal employee evaluation committee, with 331 union members to be given major or minor demerits.

Wang said the agency’s shift structure has no legal foundation following the expiration of an administrative rule.

He called on the ministry to push for shift reform.

The union says that the system denies them a “mandatory rest day,” because the revolving shift structure includes no guaranteed day off.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Apr 11, 2017 
*MOTC boss should focus on seamless travel before ticket changes: pundits*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 

Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan’s (賀陳旦) proposal to reform Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) ticket prices was yesterday queried by transportation experts, who said he should ensure that there is a seamless transition between different transport systems and plan for the development of the public transportation systems nationwide before discussing lowering ticket fares.

Hochen revealed his plan to amend the Railway Act (鐵路法) in a recent interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).

He said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ (MOTC) draft amendment would allow the TRA and other railway operators to charge passengers based on the train cabins they want.

Hochen said a railroad could divide cabins into business class, economy class and tourism cabins and set different ticket prices based on operational costs.

International visitors might be charged more on railway lines that are primarily designed for tourism, he added.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail system has business and economy-class cabins as well as different pricing for reserved and unreserved seats.

Lee Ker-tsung (李克聰), an associate professor at Feng Chia University’s department of transportation technology and management, said the ministry should focus on improving the quality of train services before deciding to impose differential rates.

“People are more likely to think that it is worth it if they pay 20 percent or 30 percent more to access a better service,” Lee said.

The Society of Railway and National Planning Taiwan also criticized the proposal, saying that the ministry should not focus on changing the TRA’s ticket scheme.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Sat, Apr 22, 2017
*No burden in TRA price raise: minister*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Ticket fare adjustments for the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) services will not greatly increase the burden on commuters, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) promised on Thursday, adding that it would consult the pricing scheme of each locality’s public transport system before finalizing its plan to raise prices.

Hochen made the statement at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, during which lawmakers were scheduled to unfreeze the budget allocated to some agencies of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

Much discussion at the meeting focused on the TRA’s proposed adjustment of railway ticket prices, which have not changed for 26 years.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said the administration’s commuter trains are used by 500,000 people daily, while Tzuchiang-class express trains are used by about 100,000 passengers.

He said that the ministry must be extremely cautious when it adjusts prices, as they particularly affect those who need to commute to work or school by train, adding that the ministry should ensure that commuters could quickly transfer from TRA lines to other public transport systems and would be given discounts if they do so.


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## mwinyi (Oct 13, 2007)

...


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_2142 by 楊 崇堉, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2017/04 by 家禎 鄭, on Flickr


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## lowrence (Jul 31, 2007)

Hallo, I would be pleased if someone could answer me to the question, what is the maximum speed on narrow gauge in Taiwan.(Taroko express?) Thank You very much.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

4137次 by Haw-Shyang Chang, on Flickr


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## jjl (Jul 22, 2009)

lowrence said:


> Hallo, I would be pleased if someone could answer me to the question, what is the maximum speed on narrow gauge in Taiwan.(Taroko express?) Thank You very much.


Max service speed is 130km/hr.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

大武站-台東縣大武鄉-Dawu station, Dawu, Taitung County, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7503次 by Haw-Shyang Chang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

102. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_4718 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5890 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

阿里山林鐵-多林站-嘉義縣阿里山鄉十字村-Duolin station, Alishan forest railway, Alishan, Chiayi County, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5942 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6131 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Sat, Aug 12, 2017 
*Taipei court orders train bomber to pay TRA NT$6.8m*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taipei District Court yesterday ordered Lin Ying-chang (林英昌) to pay the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) NT$6.8 million (US$223,994) for causing extensive damage when he set off a bomb in a train in Taipei.

Lin, 56, on July 7 last year set off a homemade pipe bomb inside a commuter train near Songshan Railway Station, injuring 25 people, including himself.

The Taipei District Court on Feb. 22 sentenced him to 30 years in jail for attempted murder and illegal use of explosives.

The Taiwan High Court on Aug. 1 reduced the sentence to 29 years and 10 months in prison.

The court dismissed the defense’s argument that Lin has manic depression and did not intend to harm others.

The TRA filed a lawsuit seeking damages, despite Lin’s pleas for an out-of-court settlement and for a lower compensation amount.

The court yesterday said that Lin, who has tonsil cancer, purchased the firecrackers in Miaoli County in April last year.

Additional Reporting by CNA


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

阿里山林鐵-沼平站附近平交道-嘉義縣阿里山鄉香林村-Near Zaoping station, Alishan forest railway, Alishan, Chiayi County, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Pingxi Railway Line,New Taipei,Taiwan 望古車站 by Wade Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_0079 by mambo1935, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_2489 by Lin.Jian Liang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

秋天別來 冷平要來 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Oct 02, 2017 
*Tunnels impede progress on railway Wi-Fi and 4G*
NO SIGNAL : The newer infrastructure of the high-speed railway system has made it easier to install the required cables, while TRA passengers must wait longer
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The government might face difficulties making Wi-Fi and fourth-generation (4G) telecom service available along most railway routes by the end of this year, because of slow progress in improving signal reception in some tunnels in the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) system, a source said yesterday.

Railway passengers have complained about the poor mobile phone reception and slow Internet processing speeds that occurs when trains pass through the tunnels.

Prior to the Taipei Summer Universiade in August, TV variety show host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) said that although the high-speed rail system has been around for a decade, the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) seems to spend more money on TV promotion slots than on Wi-Fi equipment.

Wu’s complaint drew attention from government officials, who worked on improving the 4G reception and Wi-Fi service. Before the Universiade, high-speed rail passengers could access both services without much difficulty as trains passed through 12 high-speed rail stations along the route as well as in the section north of Hsinchu Station.

High-speed rail passengers would have access to both the 4G and Wi-Fi services in the sections south of Hsinchu Station before the end of this year, National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairwoman Nicole Chan (詹婷怡) said in a question-and-answer session at the legislature’s Transportation Committee meeting on Thursday last week.

Both 4G and Wi-Fi services would become available in the tunnels along the TRA’s north-link line and the Hualien-Taitung line by the end of this year, she added.

However, travelers on the south-link line are to have access to 4G or Wi-Fi service as the trains pass through tunnels when the railway line is electrified, she said.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

111. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Oct 17, 2017
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
*TRA ticket fares to be adjusted: MOTC*
PASSENGER HABITS : People who use the TRA system frequently can be given greater discounts, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan said

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said it will reveal ticket fare adjustments for the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) services next year.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) was to brief the lawmakers at the legislature’s Transportation Committee on the TRA’s plans to purchase new train carriages and reform the railway operator’s ticketing system.

The plan to purchase new train carriages is expected to cost about NT$100 billion (US$3.3 billion).

However, the lawmakers questioned Hochen about a report published yesterday by the Chinese-language China Times that the TRA has proposed the ministry to adjust ticket prices.

The report said passengers using EasyCards, iPass or other electronic tickets would be targeted in the initial stage, with their discount to be cut from 10 percent to 5 percent.

About 400,000 people would be affected by the resulting price hike, the report added.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

宜蘭-台鐵 Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Bessa R2M by Ho Tsz Hin, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan。New Taipei City by Luis Sun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_4121 by Lin.Jian Liang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Oct 31, 2017 
*TRA prices will not rise: Hochen*
ACCIDENTAL PYRAMID : People should be concerned about small railway issues, because they might lead to major accidents later on, Legislator Lee Kun-tse said
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) ticket prices will not be raised for a year, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) said yesterday, after lawmakers questioned the legitimacy of price hikes, citing the operator’s incident record.

Hochen made the promise to lawmakers on the legislature’s Transportation Committee when faced with questions about three railway incidents on the west coast on Sunday night that disrupted service, affecting more than 10,000 passengers.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications had previously supported the TRA’s proposal to raise its ticket prices, which have not been adjusted for 22 years, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said.

However, incidents have happened one after another over the past two weeks, such as overhead electric cables breaking on Sunday, disrupting both southbound and northbound services, and the Puyuma Express derailing on Tuesday last week, Lin said.

The incidents have caused Premier William Lai (賴清德) and Hochen to think twice about raising ticket prices, as it is no longer a financial issue, he said.
“It has turned into a political issue and the TRA’s image is at stake. 

Consumers cannot possibly support a price hike from an agency that offers lousy service and allows incidents to happen frequently, even if prices have remained unchanged for 22 years,” he said.

Between January and August, 311 railway incidents happened in the TRA system, 30 of which were major, in addition to seven derailments and 18 regular incidents, DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said.

Meanwhile, about 200 incidents involved abnormalities detected during operations, Lee added.

“Like a pyramid, you have smaller incidents at the bottom, which could lead to major accidents at the top. This is the greatest concern that people should have with the railway system,” Lee said.

The ministry is to spend a month investigating each type of incident and finding ways to address them, Hochen said, adding that Sunday’s incidents showed that maintenance quality needs improvement.

“We will seek improvement through technology and recruit more workers to boost employees’ morale. We will show the public that the train system is improving,” he said.

Hochen also said that the ministry has rejected the TRA’s ticket price adjustment plan.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

0F6A4792-1 by qANTAS TSENG, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

170. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_1545 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Oct 9, 2017 
*Report shows the TRA deficit to be NT$111.1bn*
TRANSPORT TROUBLES : The deficit was mainly due to debts from the pension system, and does not mean that the firm is being run badly, TRA Director-General Jason Lu said
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has accumulated operational deficits of NT$111.1 billion (US$3.66 billion), a Legislative Yuan Budget Center report said, adding that the government failed to come up with effective solutions to address the financial problems facing the nation’s five major railway operators.

The operators are TRA, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC), Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) and Taoyuan Metro Corp.

The report, which evaluated how the government has enforced its budget plan, included scrutiny of the budget allocated for building and operating railway systems.

The TRA has accumulated massive financial losses, which could “affect the soundness of the agency’s capital structure,” the report said.

The TRA has a price cap on its tickets and bears huge personnel costs, including the pension fund for retired employees, it said, adding that part of the agency’s budget is to be spent on meeting the government’s policy objectives, which are mostly profitless operations.

Although the TRA has managed to reduce its operational deficits over the years thanks to a more flexible use of its assets and more efficient operations, the agency had accumulated a loss of NT$111.1 billion by the end of last year, or 70 percent of its capital, it said.

The agency’s losses were mainly debt from the pension fund system for retired employees that was enforced before 1999, TRA Director-General Jason Lu (鹿潔身) said, adding that it does not mean that the agency is running its business badly.

The government’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, which includes large railway projects, would only deteriorate the TRA’s financial situation, former minister of transportation and communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said on Facebook.

“If the government is really serious about investing in railway infrastructure, its priority should be to address the TRA’s financial problems. The longer it waits to address those problems, the tougher it gets to solve them,” Yeh said.

The transportation ministry had stipulated plans to address the problems during the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), including development of properties belonging to the old Taipei Railway Workshop, Yeh said, adding that the plan was canceled after the entire workshop was designated a national historic site.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7021. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Nov 27, 2017 
*Bureau claims the Alishan Forest railway is still safe*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Forestry Bureau on Saturday denied media reports that the Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵路) has safety problems, while adding that its view on maintenance differs from that of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), which was commissioned by the bureau to manage the railway.

Considered one of the three best-known mountain railways in the world, the railway begins at Chiayi Train Station and runs 71.4km to Alishan.

Under order of the Executive Yuan, the bureau in May 2013 commissioned the TRA’s Alishan Forest Railway department to manage the railway, but the contract is to end on Dec. 31.

A series of reports in the Chinese-language United Daily News on Saturday said that senior workers on the railway protested the bureau’s involvement in the line’s management, saying they only attended to the railway when traffic accidents happened.

All construction projects have had to be approved by the bureau, but it has not taken active measures to prevent accidents, they said in the reports.
The railway’s employees hope to stay on as TRA employees, because they took recruitment examinations, they said, adding that they feared becoming contract workers with lower pay once the bureau took over.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

592次 海線復興號 by light655, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

FAI_1615 - 《平溪線》 by Fai Redefined, on Flickr

FAI_1544 - 《平溪線》 by Fai Redefined, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan。Miaoli by Luis Sun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_6739 by Lin.Jian Liang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Pingxi Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan (R.O.C.) by 詩翰, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

278. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_2820 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Alishan Forest Railway celebrates 105th birthday*
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The Alishan Forest Railway celebrated its 105th birthday Sunday with activities, performances and a cake in the shape of a steam locomotive at a ceremony at the railway's Beimen station organized by the Chiayi Forest District Office.

The event included stories about the railway told by the county's Jhuci Senior High School Alishan Young Ambassadors and also singing by students from the county's Shihzih Elementary School.

Representatives from the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Joint Services Center under the Executive Yuan, the Council of Agriculture (COA), the Forestry Bureau, the Taiwan Railways Administration and the Chiayi City and County governments, as well as the Alishan Railway's sister railway in Japan, the Ōigawa Railway, attended the event.

COA Minister Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) said the Alishan Forest Railway and its forestry culture are national treasures in terms of culture, sightseeing and nature conservation.

The railway promotes the economy of surrounding mountain villages and creates memories for tourists from home and abroad, said Lin.

In June, the Executive Yuan approved the establishment by the Forestry Bureau of a unit dedicated to the operation and development of the railway, said Lin.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_3397 by 威翰 陳, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

40_00000 by PAOPHOTOGRAPHY, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2. Taiwan Alishan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

雲哥奉勸:元旦連假 有情人或家屬的千萬別把他們放在家裡,自己跑出去玩一天 這樣你真的會 " 難回了" by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Passenger falls off Hsinchu platform, killed by express train*

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) A passenger who was waiting on the platform at Hsinchu Station on Monday fell onto the tracks and was killed by a northbound express train, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said.

The passenger, who has not yet been identified, was struck by a Tze-chiang Limited Express train that was traveling from Pingtung County in the south to Keelung in the north of the country, the TRA said.

After the accident at 9:59 a.m., the platform at Hsinchu Station was closed for about 90 minutes and all 390 passengers aboard the Tze-chiang express were transferred to another train, the TRA said.

A total of four trains and 2,390 passengers were affected, the TRA added.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

1152. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Forest in Alishan by Bernie Wang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20171209-DSC01122 by Edge Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_4071 by waychen_C, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMGP7567 by 胡 臣, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_4538 by waychen_C, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_6553 by Cy Speed, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

285. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_4762 by waychen_C, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_2681 by 蔡 孟宏, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Railways Administration(TRA) EMU835+836 (林務局里山動物彩繪) by Raymond Chu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Aussicht: Taipei Main Station (Hauptbahnhof ((Gleise alle unterirdisch)) by Christian H., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

崇德站北-花蓮縣秀林鄉崇德村-Chongde station north, Xiulin, Hualien County, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Untitled by yankee890308, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

102. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

107.-6.14 7502ㄘ @汐科 by 陳至仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Forestry Bureau to take over operation of Alishan railway*
CNA _Excerpt_
June 23, 2018

The management of the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi, southern Taiwan will be moved to the Forestry Bureau under the Council of Agriculture with effect from July 1, according to an announcement by the bureau.

The railway will be operated by the bureau's newly established Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office instead of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), which has been running the service since May 1, 2013.

The change is being made in an effort to better integrate the relevant resources and run a more environmentally friendly operation, the bureau said.

It said the new office plans to raise starting salaries and establish a performance bonus system to encourage its employees.

Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether service will resume on one of railway's main lines -- Chiayi to Shizilu - before the new operator takes over.

Following a series of train derailment accidents, services on the line were suspended on March 11 for maintenance, safety inspections, and improvement work.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

仲夏寶島號接近富里站-花蓮縣富里鄉-Steam train approaching Fuli station, Fuli, Hualien County, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

CT273 仲夏寶島號 4666次 by Jhang Yao Yun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

E1062 8109次 試運轉 by Jhang Yao Yun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_7081 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

5936. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Puyuma Express train 普悠瑪號 by Daniel M Shih, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taitung County, Taiwan (R.O.C.) by 詩翰, on Flickr


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## Ph Man (Jun 29, 2007)

The scenery looks so nice. Thank you for sharing these photos. So in case I want to have a long distance joy ride, take the train from north to south, with views of the countryside, mountains and the coast, what's the itinerary like?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Ph Man said:


> The scenery looks so nice. Thank you for sharing these photos. So in case I want to have a long distance joy ride, take the train from north to south, with views of the countryside, mountains and the coast, what's the itinerary like?


The scenery along the west coast from Taipei to Kaohsiung isn't particularly scenic. I think the best train rides are Alishan and along the east coast from Hualien down to Taitung.


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## Margaret5 (Aug 3, 2018)

Thank you for sharing these pictures, bring back memories...


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## Ph Man (Jun 29, 2007)

hkskyline said:


> The scenery along the west coast from Taipei to Kaohsiung isn't particularly scenic. I think the best train rides are Alishan and along the east coast from Hualien down to Taitung.


I've taken note of this. Thanks so much for this info @*hkskyline*. Please keep those photos coming.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The starting point of travel - Ciding Station - 1 by 葉 正道 Ben（busy）, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Aug 10, 2018 
*Train timetables to be altered*
LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS : The Taiwan Railways Administration said that to ensure no steps up or down, platforms would be elevated and some train floors remodeled
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

A new train timetable is to be released in October, due to the annual adjustment of schedules, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said yesterday, adding that an estimated 200 to 300 trains would be affected.

Construction of a railway overpass in Taichung and an underground section in Kaohsiung are soon to be completed, with operations on both to be launched in the middle and at the end of October respectively, it said.

As 12 new stations are to open with the new lines, it is necessary to publish a new schedule, which would be released on Oct. 12, it said.

Meanwhile, two more stops in Hualien County are to be added to the Puyuma Express, it said.

Services in metropolitan areas in central and southern Taiwan would operate in a similar fashion to the MRT system in Taipei, the agency said.

In stations that multiple systems use, such as Taipei Main Station and Nangang Stations, passengers would be given enough time to transfer between them, it said.

In the past, passengers using some TRA services complained that they could not catch connecting high-speed rail trains because they were given only three minutes to transfer between two systems, it said.

The TRA said it would consider a proposal to increase daily west coast Puyuma Express services to at least four each way.

The sale of advance tickets for trains departing after Oct. 12 is to be suspended and it would announce on Sept. 6 when those sales would restart, it said.

The TRA said it is having trains and platforms renovated so that train floors and platforms are at the same level, with construction to be completed by 2022.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2018/08/10/2003698277


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Train service in Puyuma accident area to fully resume Wednesday*
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) The section of track in Yilan County that was damaged in a deadly train derailment Sunday night will be repaired by Wednesday noon, allowing train services along Taiwan's east coast to be fully restored, according to the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA).

The track handling southbound trains on the double-track line was damaged when Puyuma express train No. 6432 from Taipei to Taitung derailed as it entered a curve near Xinma Station in Su'ao Township at 4:50 p.m. Sunday.

All eight carriages of the tilting train flew off the track, causing the rails handling southbound traffic to twist out of shape.

The TRA has been operating a curtailed schedule in the area since 5 a.m. Monday, with trains running in both directions on the track that handled northbound trains after wreckage from the crash was cleared.

Work to repair the damaged rails on the southbound track began Tuesday and should be completed by the afternoon, after which work to repair the line's damaged electrical system will proceed, said Hsieh Ching-tien (謝清田), chief of the TRA's Yilan operations section.

Hsieh anticipated that all of the work will be completed by Wednesday noon, allowing full train services on both the northbound and southbound tracks to resume.


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## Taiwan Capital (Jan 22, 2011)

Source: https://www.railway-technology.com/news/taiwans-underground-rail-line-opens-public-service/

*Taiwan’s Kaohsiung underground rail line opens to public*

*Railway Technology*
15 OCTOBER 2018


Taiwan’s underground railway line has opened in Kaohsiung for commercial commuter services.

Built over ten years, the line is 15.37km long and runs between Zuoying and Fongshan.

According to Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Railway Bureau, the line will remove all ground-level railway tracks in downtown Kaohsiung, seven railway crossings and 16 flying junctions.


Removal of these crossings and junctions is expected to improve the traffic conditions and minimise train-related accidents.

Developed with an investment of around $3.23bn, the project is set to create additional open space in Kaohsiung’s downtown area.

"Developed with an investment of around $3.23bn, the project is set to create additional open space in Kaohsiung’s downtown area."
The line links ten railway stations that include Zuoying, Kaohiung, and Fongshan, as well as seven new stops.

Taiwan Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Chu has urged the national and city governments to strengthen their ties in order to complete the rail project’s second phase.

The second phase will see construction of a green corridor on land previously used by railroad tracks and commercial buildings.

The Kaohsiung Railway Station has also been opened along, with the line that passes under the Love River.

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Kaohsiung MRT system will use the new station.

In order to celebrate the underground railway opening along with the new stations, TRA is offering discounted train fares.

Kaohsiung 高雄 가오슝 เกาสง
Taiwan 台湾 대만 ไต้หวัน


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## 3737 (Jul 1, 2009)

hkskyline said:


> *Driver shut off train auto protection, was going too fast: court*


How the hell is it possible for a driver to shut down the safety systems and still drive the train?
Looks to me like a big safety system flaw.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Oct 24, 2018 
*TRA overhaul, new safety team planned*
DERAILMENT PROBE : The driver of the train was released on NT$500,000 bail yesterday morning after the Yilan District Court rejected a request from prosecutors to detain him
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is to be overhauled and a national transportation safety committee established to investigate any future transportation accident, Premier William Lai (賴清德) told lawmakers yesterday.

“All Puyuma Express trains will go through safety tests and the TRA will undergo an extensive review,” he said during a question-and-answer session when asked about Sunday’s derailment in Yilan County that killed 18 passengers and left 187 injured.

The government plans to merge the agencies now responsible for the safety of aviation, water and road transport and railways into a single committee, he said, promising to have a plan for the committee ready by the end of next month.

Previous train accidents were investigated by a TRA committee, but its credibility has long been questioned.

Given the enormity of Sunday’s disaster, the Cabinet established a 15-member task force, led by Minister Without Portfolio Wu Tze-cheng (吳澤成) to investigate it. The task force began work on Monday morning.

Asked by lawmakers about the progress of the investigation, Wu said excessive speed has been identified as a primary cause of the accident, but the reason for the speed was not clear.

“The Automatic Train Protection [ATP) system would normally be activated and it would automatically reduce the speed when necessary. We are investigating whether it was shut down manually or due to a malfunction,” he said.

The train was reportedly traveling at 140kph, almost double the 75kph speed limit for curves, when it derailed on a curve near the Sinma Train Station (新馬).


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Nov 2, 2018
*Japanese maker of train in deadly Taiwan crash finds design flaw*
_Excerpt_

TOKYO/TAIPEI (Reuters) - The Japanese manufacturer of a train that derailed in Taiwan killing 18 people said it had discovered a design flaw that failed to alert the central control system that an automatic safety feature had been turned off.

On Oct. 21 a train in Yilan in Taiwan’s northeast came off the rails on a curve while traveling at almost 149 kmh (87 mph), nearly twice the speed limit, the head of a Taiwan government investigation team has said.

Eighteen people were killed and 187 injured in the island’s worst rail crash in decades.

Naoki Sato, an official at Nippon Sharyo, told Reuters on Friday that the company’s investigation into the crash had discovered a flaw in the blueprint for wiring the connection of the train’s automatic train protection (ATP) safety system to the control station.

There is no problem with the safety system itself, which is designed to automatically apply the brakes when the train exceeds the speed limit, the official said.

Nippon Sharyo’s Sato said the flawed blueprint was used in 19 train sets built for Taiwan, including the one that crashed. He said any decision on whether to fix the wiring was up to the Taiwan rail authority, which owns the trains.

Search crews think they found crashed Lion Air jet
The Taiwan Railways Administration said in a statement it has asked Nippon Sharyo for a more detailed explanation. It did not elaborate. It was not immediately clear whether the remaining 18 trains were currently in operation.

The train’s driver, You Zhen-zhong, told a court last month he switched off the speed-control system to boost the train’s power when it slowed down on an earlier stretch of the journey, according to a Taiwan court spokesman, citing his bail hearing.


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## Taiwan Capital (Jan 22, 2011)

Source: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3552105

*TRA offering discounted train fares to celebrate opening of Kaohsiung underground railway*

*Passengers have access to discounted fares from Oct. 14*


By George Liao,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2018/10/14 15:06










(Taiwan News) — Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is offering discounted train fares as of Oct. 14 to celebrate the opening of the Kaohsiung underground railway and 10 new stations along the new line, according to the company's press release.

From Oct. 14 until Dec. 31, passengers have access to discounted fares for journeys from New Zuoying Station (新左營站) to Fengshan Station (鳳山站). For the initial opening week from Oct. 14 to Oct. 21, adult tickets are only NT$30 and half-fare tickets are just NT$15. After this, tickets will be sold for NT$42 and NT$22 respectively, until the end of December. 

Passengers who purchase the tickets will be allowed unlimited rides between any of the 10 stations along the line from New Zuoying Station to Fengshan Station. The promotional tickets can be bought at New Zuoying Station, Kaohsiung Station (高雄站) and Fengshan Station.

In addition, TRA and Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp have together launched the daily joint ticket, which allows buyers unlimited rides within the same day on TRA trains between New Zuoying Station and Fengshan Station, as well as Kaohsiung MRT trains for NT$125. The special daily joint ticket will also be available from Oct. 14 to Dec. 31. 

The new Kaohsiung underground railway line is 15.37 kilometers in length, according to TRA.

Passengers and railway enthusiasts rushed to take pictures of the first train pulling into the new Kaohsiung Station on the morning of Oct. 14 following the railway's overnight completion, multiple reports said. 










Platform entrace at new TRA Kaohsiung Station (Photo by CNA)









The old, temporary Kaohsiung Station (photo by CNA)









(Photo courtesy of TRA)

Kaohsiung 高雄 가오슝 เกาสง
Taiwan 台湾 대만 ไต้หวัน


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

KR2A9164 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr

801A9204 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## Silver Swordsman (Nov 8, 2011)

I really want to know where in Taiwan those pictures were taken. They're beautiful!


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## cheehg (Jan 5, 2018)

Silver Swordsman said:


> I really want to know where in Taiwan those pictures were taken. They're beautiful!


those should be on the est coast lines. or the south tip of the island.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

冬山車站 by 小君先生, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Railway 1137 七堵 by hung-ru Tai, on Flickr


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## Rixos (Nov 3, 2018)

Are these chinese-made trainsets or japanese ?


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## Stuu (Feb 7, 2007)

Silver Swordsman said:


> I really want to know where in Taiwan those pictures were taken. They're beautiful!


If you click on the flickr links below each picture it takes you to the photographer's page... then scroll through until you find the photo thumbnail, and then click on that and the location is below the photo


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Rixos said:


> Are these chinese-made trainsets or japanese ?


The Puyuma trains are Japanese.


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## TWEire (Jun 21, 2018)

Rixos said:


> Are these chinese-made trainsets or japanese ?


The Taroko, Puyuma and new local trains (800 series) are all Japanese. The old local sets are Korean (Daewoo)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Dec 11, 2018 
*Puyuma and Taroko trains bought illegally, NPP says *
PRIVATE PROCUREMENT: A law allowing authorities to bypass public procurement requirements when seeking maintenance or parts was used to buy new trains, it said
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) in 2014 illegally purchased more than 30 Puyuma Express and Taroko Express trains from Japan for more than NT$1.8 billion (US$58 million), New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said yesterday, adding that former premier Lin Chuan (林全) had been informed of the matter in 2016.

The railways agency purchased the 32 brand new trains, even though its application for the procurement, citing the need for train parts, was rejected by the Executive Yuan’s Public Construction Commission, Huang said at the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee.

“This has become the biggest joke in government procurement in Taiwan. If an old train is broken, they can just tear off the needed parts from the new one. Is that how it is supposed to work?” he said, adding that the purchase was “corrupt” and “treated all taxpayers as fools.”

The TRA made the purchases on Dec. 27, 2014, signing contracts with two Japanese companies for 16 Taroko trains and 16 Puyuma trains for NT$925 million and NT$896 million respectively, he said.

Prior to the purchase, the company had applied for approval from the commission, citing Article 22, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 4 of the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), which allows a private tendering process for government procurement when follow-up maintenance, parts or additional extensions of previously purchased goods are required, he said.

The commission withheld approval, but the TRA proceeded with the procurement anyway, he said.

Instead of holding a public tendering process, as required by the act, the TRA reached a deal with the two Japanese companies through private procurement, he said.

“The private process ensured that everyone involved could share the benefits,” he said.

Lin and former minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) both promised to investigate the matter in 2016 when they were informed of it, but no progress has been made since then, he said.

“Did they thoroughly investigate the matter? Or did someone hinder the investigation to prevent the ugly scandal from being exposed? Huang asked, adding: “How corrupt.”

The commission’s Central Procurement Supervision Unit must probe the alleged graft and report all suspects to the Control Yuan, he added.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2018/12/11/2003705909


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## Taiwan Capital (Jan 22, 2011)

Source: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3554281

*Riding Taiwan’s newest transport link: the TRA Kaohsiung City Network*

*NT$100 billion investment has seen 15km of city center railway lines tunneled underground*

By David Spencer,Taiwan News, Contributing Writer
2018/10/17 14:25










*Kaohsiung is fast becoming one of the best-connected cities in Taiwan.* It’s two-line MRT network connects the city center with both Zuoying HSR station, Kaohsiung Airport, and the city’s busiest industrial areas. After a slow start, it has seen user numbers grow in recent years. 

Meanwhile, the new Light Rail Network, which is only partially open, connects the MRT to the rapidly redeveloping harbor area of the city. It will eventually provide a circular link to many of the city’s most densely populated residential areas.

And on Sunday, the latest piece in the city’s transport puzzle was formally opened. The TRA Kaohsiung City Network, already more commonly known as the Kaohsiung Underground Railway, was formally opened. 










Image Credit: David Spencer

This project has seen 15.37km of mainline railway tunneled underground. But crucially for Kaohsiung commuters, it has also seen the construction of seven new stations and the refurbishment of three more. The Kaohsiung Underground Railway is essentially now a fourth major public transportation line in the city with a fifth (the yellow line) also under consideration










Image Credit: KTRC

It has not come cheaply. Conservative estimates put the total cost of the project at a cool NT$100bn (US$3.2bn). It is a phenomenal sum of money, much of which has been borrowed by the Kaohsiung City Government leaving the city with a considerable public debt to deal with. 

The opening ceremony on Sunday saw President Tsai-Ing-wen (蔡英文), former Kaohsiung Mayor and current Secretary-General to the President, Chen Chu (陳菊), and current acting Kaohsiung Mayor, Hsu Li-ming (許立明) all laud the efforts of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in getting the project finished, given the lack of financial support for Kaohsiung from the previous KMT administration. 

There is little doubt that politicking under the KMT left the staunch DPP city of Kaohsiung with little option but to raise funds for redevelopment themselves. However, it is also fair to say that the question of whether this project delivers value-for-money for the city still divides opinion here. 

*What the Underground Railway does for Kaohsiung*

There are a number of clear benefits for the city and its residents. The new underground line should encourage more people to commute on public transport and therefore might make a small inroad into the city’s chronic air pollution issues. It will also help tourists travel to popular tourists’ attractions including the Science and Technology Museum and the Museum of Fine Art. 

With the railway lines now underground, many residents living nearby will no longer be affected by the noise and pollution created by Taiwan’s aged rolling stock. The land on which the lines used to run is to be turned into parkland and public space. This should also help to drive up property prices and the redevelopment of areas close to the lines. 


The project will also help with issues of traffic congestion in the city. The many frustrating level crossings that frequently delay journeys should now be a thing of the past. In addition, the removal of small and ugly flyovers on busy roads such as Dashun Road (大順路) and Bo-ai Road (博愛路) will help the flow of cars and scooters around the city. 

Riding on the new underground network is, at the moment, a joy. The new stations are in pristine condition, although work continues at surface level on most of them. To encourage new users, TRA has also dropped the prices on all journeys between Fengshan and Xinzuoying to just NT$30 for adults and NT$15 for minors and concessions. 

At the moment, you will see plenty of tourists, railway enthusiasts, and Instagrammers keen to get a picture of the new network. It is certainly a unique site when witnessing one of Taiwan’s antiquated trains creaking into a shiny new underground station.









Image Credit: David Spencer

Some people have questioned why the new network isn’t equipped with platform-edge doors. But this is almost certainly because the various different trains using the new underground line all have their doors positioned at different points. 

*Kaohsiung Main Station: an ongoing project*

The centerpiece of the new Underground Railway is the new Kaohsiung Main Station. Anyone who has traveled via the old Kaohsiung Main Station will know how badly this station needed replacing. The old building necessitated a large bridge over the tracks, with grotty ticket offices located on either side. Meanwhile, the beautiful old Kaohsiung Station building, which dates from 1941, was separated from the station by the Bo-ai Road bridge, much neglected, and usually missed by tourists. 









Image Credit: Wikimedia

This is all changing thanks to the spectacular new station which is currently under construction. It has been designed by Mecanoo, the Dutch architects behind the new National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Weiwuying, which also opened this weekend. 

This new station is already partially open, and visitors can presently enjoy the spectacular new ticket hall, with its huge domed roof. There is however much more work to be done before it is finished, and while I was there, some visitors seemed disappointed that more of it was not yet open. 









Image Credit: David Spencer

The new station is not expected to be fully completed until 2023, and this is understandable when you look at the massive and hugely impressive project being undertaken. When finished, the new station will boast a huge public green space across its entire roof and have a special focus on the 1941 station building, which will be moved back to its original position. 









Image Credit: David Spencer









Image Credit: David Spencer

Even in its current state, the new station is already a significant improvement on what it has replaced. The people of Kaohsiung are now looking forward to the day when their new station is complete. They have a few more years to wait, but in the meantime, there is an impressive new underground railway to enjoy. 

Regardless of your views on the cost and levels of public debt run up to fund it, the benefits to Kaohsiung of this new underground rail network and the stunning main station that will be its centerpiece are already clear for all to see. 

Kaohsiung 高雄 가오슝 เกาสง
Taiwan 台湾 대만 ไต้หวัน


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

旅 by alex291556, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Untitled by unowhat, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6886 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

三貂嶺 by HS JASON, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

三貂嶺幼坑步道-大華車站 by king.f, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA TEMU1000-TED1015, South Shulin by Howard Pulling, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Railway 7501 新富 by EdwardSutp13, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA TEMU1000-TED1015, South Shulin by Howard Pulling, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taipei MRT Main Station lobby by dumbkid0, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Jun 13, 2019 
*Railways to be fully electrified in 2020*
SOUTH LINK LINE: From Sept. 2 to Dec. 30, some trains would have to be canceled to complete the electrification project, but bus services would be made available
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The Taiwan Railways Administration’s nationwide railway system is to be entirely electrified when the South Link Line’s electrification project is completed by the end of next year, the Railway Bureau said on Tuesday.

The South Link Line, which connects Pingtung and Taitung counties, is the only railway route that has yet to be completely electrified.

The route originally ran from Pingtung’s Fangliao Township (枋寮) to Taitung Railway Station. Most of the stations are in remote and less-populated areas, which has made construction a challenging task.

The electrification of the route would begin in Pingtung’s Chaozhou Township (潮州) — the terminal station of the railway line in the west coast — and end in Taitung’s Jhihben Township (知本).

The line between Taitung Railway Station and Jhihben has already been electrified.

The bureau aims to have the line between Chaozhou and Fangliao electrified by the end of this year to save commuters the trouble of having to change trains, bureau Deputy Director-General Wu Sheng-yuan (伍勝園) said.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/06/13/2003716850


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Untitled by Von CALVEN LEE, on Flickr


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## 00Zy99 (Mar 4, 2013)

hkskyline said:


> Jun 13, 2019
> *Railways to be fully electrified in 2020*
> SOUTH LINK LINE: From Sept. 2 to Dec. 30, some trains would have to be canceled to complete the electrification project, but bus services would be made available
> Taipei Times _Excerpt_
> ...


Wow!! An achievement matched only by Switzerland, Monaco, Hong Kong, and the Vatican!

Wiki seems to show a fair number of freight and passenger trains still using diesel. Will these be replaced in the near future?


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## jhung713 (Jul 23, 2012)

20160717-JKH_0643-Edit by Jackson Hung, on Flickr

Old Taichung Station


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Here is the renovated Taichung station : 

Taichung train station by Horran Yao, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

CK124 5928次 by Jhang Yao Yun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

D68_6153 by brook1979, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_7682 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Taiwan railway police now have pepper spray, bulletproof vests*
_Excerpt_

Taipei, July 5 (CNA) Law enforcement officers deployed at train stations and inside train carriages are now equipped with pepper spray and bulletproof vests and are working in teams of two after one of their colleagues was killed by a passenger on a train Wednesday.

The measures were put in place after 24-year-old railway police officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰) was stabbed by a knife-wielding passenger on a northbound train at Chiayi Station on Wednesday at 8:42 p.m. while responding to a quarrel between the passenger and the train conductor.

The attacker, who was found riding the train without a ticket, was subdued with the help of other passengers, but Lee died in hospital at 8:37 a.m. Thursday of liver trauma and cardiac arrest.

In the wake of the incident, the National Policy Agency (NPA) deployed an additional 120 police officers from its special police forces to support the Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung police bureaus in securing the safety of train stations and train carriages, a spokesperson from the Railway Police Bureau told CNA on Friday.

More : http://focustaiwan.tw/search/201907050013.aspx


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## jp1032 (Mar 31, 2011)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A8527 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_7716 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0852 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_8958 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_6716 by Jimmy Yao, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5869 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Untitled by 藍迪 蔡, on Flickr

Untitled by 藍迪 蔡, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Alishan (73) by Sharon & Claus Ellef, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6505 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

000064250022 by billlushana1, on Flickr


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...J3lnScRmH27dftSHjHlWup84m8tLZtBVzvhTBFoAdmibc

*Taiwan sues Sumitomo for deadly train derailment*



> Taiwan's railway authority has sued a major Japanese trading company over a deadly train derailment last year.
> 
> The Taiwan Railways Administration, or TRA, filed the lawsuit at the Taipei District Court on Thursday. It is demanding Sumitomo Corporation pay 611 million New Taiwan dollars, or roughly 20 million US dollars, in damages.
> 
> ...


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

9502次 by 皓翌洪, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan。Changhua by Luis Sun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2019/10/30/W by 雨完玩人, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Changes to railway project funding proposed *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Nov 4, 2019

The government is considering eliminating the self-liquidating ratio as a criterion used to evaluate railway grade separation projects, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said yesterday.

Railway grade separation projects mainly aim to eliminate railway crossings by either raising the railway track to an overpass or having it built underground.

According to regulations, such projects must be proposed by local governments, which are also responsible for conducting feasibility research. The regulations then require the ministry to use the self-liquidating ratio — the portion of funding that a local government can contribute to a public construction project — as well as other criteria to determine whether a project should be approved.

The higher the percentage of funding that a local government is able to provide, the more subsidies it would receive from the government for the project.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has said on many occasions that he believes the regulations governing railway grade separation projects should change, as local governments are likely to inflate the self-liquidating ratio.

He has also said that, if it approves of a public construction project, the central government should provide more funding to minimize the development gap between urban and rural areas.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/11/04/2003725218


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

望古車站 (wan-gu train station,Taiwan) by KiKiPaPa, on Flickr


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## 00Zy99 (Mar 4, 2013)

hkskyline said:


> Jun 13, 2019
> *Railways to be fully electrified in 2020*
> SOUTH LINK LINE: From Sept. 2 to Dec. 30, some trains would have to be canceled to complete the electrification project, but bus services would be made available
> Taipei Times _Excerpt_
> ...


Any news on this?

Is there enough rolling stock available?

It says "all the railways", but what about the branchlines? It's not clear.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

里山彩繪2.0 | 1177次 @新豐=湖口 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*TRA to cut facial recognition feature from surveillance system trial*
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) A surveillance system that is to be given a trial run at Fengyuan Station will not make use of its facial recognition feature due to privacy concerns, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said in a statement Tuesday.

The TRA was responding to widespread criticism of the feature after it announced on Monday that it was planning the trial run of the camera-based system, which is connected to an artificial intelligence platform.

Before the privacy concerns are addressed, the TRA said in the statement that it will operate the NT$25.88 million (US$851,000) system without the facial recognition function.

Internal tests of the system's basic functions were first conducted by Taiwan's railway regulator, the Railway Bureau, in August, with disappointing results.

Adjustments were made, and new tests are scheduled to start on Nov. 22, according to Railway Bureau official Lee Ming-tse (李明澤).

The plan was to have the TRA conduct a trial run in an actual traveler setting in Fengyuan after the system passed the tests.

More : http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201911060011.aspx


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Wanggu train station, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 2019 by CM100Carlos, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan。Taichung by Luis Sun, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

AliShan by Hayden Liu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Railway development central government’s job: MOTC*
Nov 14, 2019
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

The national railway network’s development should not be the job of local officials, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday during an inspection trip to Yilan County with members of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee.

Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) officials had failed to fulfill their duty in the past, approaching railway projects with the wrong mentality, he said.

Lin and the lawmakers were briefed by ministry officials on projects in the county, including elevating Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) tracks, extending the high-speed rail line to the county, connecting the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (National Freeway No. 5) and the improved Suhua Highway and building a new Nanfangao Bridge (南方澳橋) in Suao Township (蘇澳).

Asked by reporters if the projects were pork-barrel items to court Yilan voters ahead of the Jan. 11 elections., Lin said the MOTC has not just launched transportation projects in Yilan, and he began reviewing the planned around-the-nation public transport network after taking office at the beginning of the year.

The ministry has introduced a policy to link west coast cities using the high-speed rail, whereas east coast cities would be linked using the proposed “express railway.”

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/11/14/2003725815


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A1261 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2019/11/17/SU by 雨完玩人, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Professors quit over rail plan budget increase *
Nov 22, 2019
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Two university professors have resigned from a review committee over a government plan to increase the budget for a Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) project in Taoyuan.

On Friday last week, the committee approved a nearly fourfold increase to the budget for the Taoyuan Railway Grade Separation Project from NT$30 billion (US$982.8 million) to more than NT$110 billion.

Chang Sheng-hsiung (張勝雄), a professor in Tamkang University’s transportation department, offered his resignation soon after the committee approved the change, while Sophia Lin (林雪花), a National Chiao Tung University adjunct assistant professor, informed the Railway Bureau about her decision via e-mail.

The bureau should not bother inviting her to serve on the committee again, Lin said.

Bureau record showed that she had not attended the past three review meetings.

In an interview with the Chinese-language Apple Daily, Chang said that the project was the first he had reviewed after he joined the committee in 2016.

The city government initially proposed an overpass for the line, but switched to an underground plan, which the committee approved, Chang said.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/11/22/2003726292


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSCF1953 by Stylon Wang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Full electrification coming next year : http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201911240014.aspx


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

CCP_3976 by Anntony Pai, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taichung Station by Shingchou Wu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Railway Art Village by Nico Kaiser, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

台東瑞和車站 by Hsuan Lin Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Improving travel on the east side of the island : https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3813590


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2019/11/14/R by 雨完玩人, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8780次 @北新竹=竹北 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

苗栗。鯉魚潭拱橋。火車 by Aaron Chuo, on Flickr


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## Ph Man (Jun 29, 2007)

What line/route is this please?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Ph Man said:


> What line/route is this please?


The author tagged it to this location : 鯉魚潭拱橋

The translation is : Liyutan Arch Bridge


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Taipei station still understaffed *
 LONG HOURS, LONG LINES:The union’s president said that some of the staff were stuck working 12-hour shifts, as there were 27 fewer employees than it had in 2008 
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Dec 6, 2019

The Taiwan Railway Union yesterday said that the Taipei Railway Station is short-staffed, requiring some employees to work up to 12 hours per shift.

“Long lines at the ticket windows are an ongoing problem that has led to a great number of customer complaints and constant overworking of employees,” union president Wang Chieh (王傑) told a news conference in Taipei.

“Often, we have just a half an hour, if any time at all, to eat lunch or dinner, and hardly enough time to take bathroom breaks,” said Wang, who works at the station’s customer service center.

The most overworked staff are those at window 12, where they are responsible for selling time-limited passes, unlocking cards and handling machine repairs, he said.

If one of the two personnel at the window takes time off, the other must work 12 hours straight to cover it, he added.

The station has 161 personnel, which is 27 fewer than it had in 2008, even though the number of passengers passing through the station has grown by 4 million over the past decade, Wang said.

More : http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/12/06/2003727056


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

17.04.2019 - Chiayi, railway garage park (62) by Le Métayer Alain, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

山歌彩繪 | 1819次 @上員=竹中 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0026 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Taiwan rail trains' 'aesthetics renaissance' sparks debate over design process*
19 December 2019

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A railcar beautification project for Taiwan’s islandwide sightseeing trains has earned accolades, but it has also shed light on the notoriously unsightly aesthetics of public projects in the country as well as the much-criticized design tender process.

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) drew fire over the design of its Formosa Express train fleet unveiled earlier this year at a cost of NT$79 million (US$26 million). In response, the TRA decided in April to establish a task force dedicated to overhauling 13 of the total 29 cars in an “aesthetics renaissance” project, reported CNA.

The project has proven a success, as the commissioned design team — award-winning J.C. Architecture (柏成設計) — breathed new life into the seats, window curtains, and lighting. Inspired by the island's picturesque scenery and unique natural characteristics, the team sought to give trains the impression of moving like an “autumn breeze” and blending in with their surroundings.

While Taiwanese architect Roan Ching-yueh (阮慶岳) lauded the new decor, he urged the TRA and government agencies to acknowledge the real problems behind the project in a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec. 19). The fact that such an outstanding team had failed to enter the design process in the first place reflects the flaws in the decision-making process of all public projects, he reckoned.

More : https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3840298


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A1987 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🚅 Train - Taiwan by Alvis Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20200516-DSC_5635 by Ngan Ken, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

1827次 @內灣&#x3D;南河 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

台鐵EMU800 - 鯉魚潭拱橋 by stone_winters_shih, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

05302020-ShihFenStreet23 by ron Pan, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_7837 by 育翔 黃, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Regular, high speed railways to allow eating on board * 
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Both the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. announced Friday that they will lift the ban on eating on board starting June 1, as the COVID-19 threat eases.

Passengers can take off their masks briefly to eat as long as social distancing is observed, but they are still required to wear masks at all other times on the trains, the operators said.

Though people can eat on board, the TRA said its policy of not selling food and beverages in their train cars would continue.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202005290007


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Train View/Miaoli by Changyou Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA, HSR trains to resume serving food on June 7 * 
_Excerpt_

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) will resume serving food on their trains from June 7 as the COVID-19 outbreak eases, the operators announced Friday.

Passengers will be able to purchase lunchboxes and packaged snacks, as well as use vending machines on the trains wherever they are available, the TRA and HSR said.

However, passengers can only consume food if social distancing is observed, meaning they must remain at least 1.5 meters from anyone else, or if passengers near them wear masks, the TRA and HSR said.

More : TRA, HSR trains to resume serving food on June 7 - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA to sell limited number of classic staff pocket watch * 
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
June 7, 2020

Railway fans are in for a treat, as the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is planning a limited-edition reissue of the pocket watch used by its staff in the 1950s and 1960s built from reclaimed and recycled original parts to coincide with the Railway Festival on Tuesday.

Not only have the watches been meticulously reproduced from original parts, they have been individually calibrated by professional watchmakers, the TRA said.

The reissued watches would be available in limited quantities, with 48 dispatched to the TRA souvenir store at Taipei Railway Station, eight to the store in Taichung Railway Station, eight to the one in Kaohsiung Railway Station and five to the shop in Hualien Railway Station, it said. 

More : TRA to sell limited number of classic staff pocket watch - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_8083 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA reports record revenue as agency marks anniversary * 
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
June 10, 2020

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday announced that it had generated a record NT$25.3 billion (US$848.91 million) in revenue last year, and broke records for earnings from its side businesses.

“What was extraordinary was that we earned NT$5.3 billion in revenue through side businesses alone last year. We also began to gradually reduce the occurrence of railway incidents last year. Between January and April this year, our train punctuality rate has greatly improved to 95.3 percent,” TRA Director-General Chang Cheng-yuan (張政源) said at a ceremony at Taiwan Railway Station to mark Railway Day and the agency’s annual Railway Festival.

“These accomplishments are made through the collective efforts of all TRA employees,” he added.

The signing of an agreement with the Taiwan Railway Labor Union after nearly 30 years of negotiations was another of the TRA’s major achievements last year, Chang said.

The TRA faces many challenges this year, from passenger demand over the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday and several long weekends to adhering to the nation’s disease-prevention measures against COVID-19, he said.

More : TRA reports record revenue as agency marks anniversary - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

South-Link Line . Ordinary Train Experience record | Fangliao Station | 200417-007 by Ngan Ken, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Peak-time express train tickets on TRA lines for holiday sold out *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Long-distance express train tickets for travel on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) rail lines at peak times during the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday in late June have been sold out, the agency said Wednesday.

As of 9 a.m. Tze-Chiang Express tickets for travel during certain daytime hours had quickly sold out after advance sales began at midnight Tuesday, the agency said in a press release.

More than 285,000 tickets were sold online, via telephone or at convenience stores in the early hours of Wednesday morning, TRA data showed.

Among the sold-out Tze-Ching Express tickets were those for travel from Taipei to Hualien County from noon on June 24 (the day before the holiday begins) to 6 p.m. on June 25; from Taipei to Taitung County on June 24 and 25; and from Taitung and Hualien to Taipei on June 28 for all trains departing after 7 a.m.

On the line that goes north-south in western Taiwan, express train tickets from Taipei to Kaohsiung between 1 p.m. on June 24 and 11 a.m. on June 25, as well as those from Kaohsiung to Taipei between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on June 28 were sold out.

More : Peak-time express train tickets on TRA lines for holiday sold out - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* To sit, or not to sit: that is the question for Taipei Main Station*
CNA _Excerpt_
June 11, 2020

One bright Sunday afternoon, Siti Johariyah and her friend hold hands and pose for pictures standing on the black-and-white checkered floor of Taipei Main Station hall, celebrating seeing each other for the first time in eight years.

"The hall is a good place to meet because it is comfortable and convenient," said the Indonesian caregiver in her 30s, who took the Taipei Metro from Luzhou, New Taipei. Her friend took the airport MRT from Taoyuan.

Visiting Taipei Main Station on Sunday afternoons has become a ritual for many migrant workers like Siti, who use the little free time they have to get togehter with people from home.

However, whether these gatherings will continue has become a political issue. Indeed, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) recently found itself in a heated debate over whether the hall should permit mass gatherings after the COVID-19 pandemic eases.

The TRA, which imposed a ban on mass gatherings in the spacious station hall in February to curb the spread of COVID-19, proposed on May 18 that the restriction be made permanent to facilitate better traffic flow and preserve public order.

However, that decision was quickly rejected by Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), who said he has directed the TRA to gradually reopen the hall when COVID-19 becomes more manageable.

More : To sit, or not to sit: that is the question for Taipei Main Station - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A9239 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSCF2749 by 雅布 重, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Relaxed rules on mask wearing criticized by railway workers *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) With the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan easing, Taiwan began on Sunday to ease rules on wearing masks in the country's trains, but the new protocols were criticized by railway workers as confusing and "nonsensical."

Rank and file workers at the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) said Sunday that the revised rule on mask wearing on trains only made the situation more confusing.

Some even criticized the constant hassle of needing to wear and then take off the mask as "nonsensical."

Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) responded Monday that the relaxed rule on mask wearing on trains was put in place to give riders the option to take their masks off as long as social distancing could be observed.

The easing of the rules for trains came as Taiwan began on Sunday to lift some of its restrictions on large gatherings, social distancing and the need for face masks because of the low number of cases of COVID-19 in the country in recent weeks.

More : Relaxed rules on mask wearing criticized by railway workers - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8795次 @北新竹&#x3D;竹北 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

莒光號 • Nikon D4 by 洺毅 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* New TRA student rail pass to give access to faster trains *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) will offer a new version of its standard student rail pass starting Wednesday that will give students access to faster express trains for less money for unlimited travel over 10 days.

The new "TR-Summer Pass" will be available to students from July 15 to Sept. 15 for NT$900 (US$30) and can be used over 10 consecutive days starting from the date of purchase, said TRA official Hsu Min-chieh (許民杰).

"It's an especially good deal for people who want to travel around the island, because train fare for that kind of trip usually costs NT$2,000," Hsu said.

The TRA normally offers 5-day, 7-day and 10-day student passes (though only the 10-day pass is available to foreign students).

The standard 10-day pass normally costs NT$1,098 and only allows travel on slower trains, including the Chukuang and Fuxing express trains.

More : New TRA student rail pass to give access to faster trains - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_1817 by 魚米 之鄉, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

嘉義火車站前-嘉義市西區-Chiayi railway station, Chiayi City, Taiwan by Roger W., on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20200711 by maggie hung, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

蔚藍海岸 | 金崙 by C.H.Tang Photography, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20200716-EGL00766 by Edge Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2517次區間車（Local train) [Taiwan railway] by yoray4227, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_0371_A1SS by JLC_photography, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A1195 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Train cross over Keelung River. (No.7524) by 蔡 杰森, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_0070 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

台中火車站 by Dicolala, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2020/05/04＿426次 by Local Sun, on Flickr


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)

*Two new trains to be operational by January, TRA says*

Two new commuter trains are scheduled to be launched in January next year, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said yesterday.

The acquisition of EMU-900 commuter train cars is part of the railway operator’s plan to replace 589 train cars that have been in operation for more than three decades.

The agency has also placed orders to buy 600 intercity train cars.









Two new trains to be operational by January, TRA says - Taipei Times


Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan




www.taipeitimes.com


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 8151 @暖暖-八堵 EMU307 by JamesChan1998, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

雙軌並行(DSC_6083) by nans0410(busy), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_0295 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA to allow train ticket buys further in advance *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) People wishing to travel on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) trains will now be able to buy tickets further in advance than in the past starting Aug. 5, the state-run train operator said Tuesday.

Under the new measure, travelers will be able to reserve tickets 28 days in advance (not including the date the reservation is made), instead of the current 14 days, making it easier for people to plan their trips ahead of time, the TRA said in a statement.

The new extension will actually allow purchases of up to 30 days before the departure date if tickets are bought on a Friday to help with weekend bookings, the company said.

More : TRA to allow train ticket buys further in advance - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2020/7/29/W by 雨完玩人, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_0256 by 鹽味九K, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Taiwan Railways to cop fines of NT$300,000 in wake of deadly train crash * 
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, April 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Wednesday it will impose fines of NT$300,000 (US$10,559) in total on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) for negligence that led to a deadly train accident in eastern Taiwan earlier this month.

Recent labor inspections found that the TRA failed to properly supervise one of its construction sites near the railway, which resulted in a truck falling onto the tracks shortly before the ill-fated express train approached, according to the ministry.

Citing Articles 26 and 27 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the ministry said a business operator is required to inform contractors of potentially hazardous elements in their work environment and take the necessary action to prevent occupational accidents.

The fine for violation of the each of the two articles is NT$150,000, which means the TRA will soon be fined NT$300,000 in total, said Tzou Tzu-lien (鄒子廉), director-general of the MOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

After recent inspections, he said, the MOL has concluded that the TRA was partly responsible for the April 2 train crash in Hualien that killed 49 people and injured at least 200.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202104210025


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Minister vows to run TRA more like a corporation *
Apr 23, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 

New Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) yesterday pledged to run the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) more like a corporation within three years, adding that he would resign if plans to reform the agency fail.

Wang made the remarks at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, where the ministry was scheduled to brief lawmakers on the progress of plans to form “travel bubbles” with other countries.

However, committee members focused on Wang’s plans to reform the TRA, which he pledged when he took office on Tuesday.

Wang, previously a deputy minister, was promoted to minister when Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) stepped down to take responsibility for the April 2 railway derailment that killed 49 people and injured more than 200.

Wang has appointed former Railway Bureau director-general Allen Hu (胡湘麟) as the new deputy transportation minister and promoted former TRA deputy director-general Du Wei (杜微) to head the railway agency.

Officials who are familiar with the agency’s core issues and are capable of addressing them are needed to carry out reform, Wang said.

More : Minister vows to run TRA more like a corporation - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Taiwan Railways 'enterprization' to take place within three years: minister * 
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, April 25 (CNA) New Transport Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) on Sunday said that the "enterprization" of state-owned Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is expected to take place within three years as part of the government's ongoing overhaul of the TRA following a deadly train accident in eastern Taiwan earlier this month.

Wang made the comments during a press conference following a meeting during which he and other government officials briefed Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on issues relating to the reform of the TRA.

The Cabinet has made clear its intention to reform the 73-year-old TRA following the major train crash in Hualien on April 2 that left 49 people dead and around 200 injured.

More : Taiwan Railways 'enterprization' to take place within three years: minister - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* New Taiwan Railways chief pledges to improve safety management *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, April 27 (CNA) New Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) Director-General Tu Wei (杜微) on Tuesday pledged that improving safety management will be the number one reform during his tenure, in an effort to restore passenger confidence in the wake of a deadly train crash that killed 49 people earlier this month.

Speaking during his swearing-in ceremony, Tu said the TRA has provided transportation services to Taiwanese for nearly 100 years but two recent accidents have caused people to seriously question TRA's safety management.

Tu was referring to the April 2 train accident in Hualien in which 49 passengers died and around 200 were injured, as well as an incident on April 24 in which a construction worker violated safety rules by crossing the tracks in Yilan, resulting in him being hit by an approaching train. The worker suffered non life-threatening injuries.

More : New Taiwan Railways chief pledges to improve safety management - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*On train safety, 'reform' rhetoric easy; now comes the hard part *
Apr 28, 2021
CNA _Excerpt_ 

Taiwan's president, premier and new transportation minister have all advocated "reforming" the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) following its worst train accident in 73 years on April 2 that left 49 people dead and over 200 injured.

Such appeals are nothing new -- they were also uttered after a crash in October 2018 in which 18 people died but were not acted on.

The latest accident, however, has intensified calls for the TRA, still run as a government agency, to move toward "corporatization."

"There is no reason to run a 21st-century public unit with a 19th-century mindset," said Ian Wu (吳易翰), chairman of the Society of Railway and National Planning.

Founded in 1945, the TRA manages a round-the-island railway system that dates back to the Qing Dynasty, and its rigid recruiting practices and performance evaluations have been criticized as outdated for decades, Wu said.

Beyond simply calling for "corporatization" or "privatization," however, truly improving train safety will require tangible changes to deal with cultural, technological, organizational, and financial barriers, according to experts interviewed by CNA.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202104280019


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*TRA to become state-run firm: minister *
Apr 29, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 

The ultimate goal of reforming the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is to turn the government agency into a state-run corporation, Minister of Transportation and Communication Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.

Wang made the remarks at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee in Taipei, where he and new TRA Director-General Du Wei (杜微) briefed lawmakers about the details of reforming the nation’s oldest and largest railway agency, after a Taroko Express train derailed in Hualien on April 2, killing 49 people and injuring more than 200.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) asked Wang to elaborate on his pledge of “managing the railway agency like a corporation in three years.”

More : TRA to become state-run firm: minister - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

彩普5.0 by Stephen Wu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Parents of American killed in Hualien train crash to take legal action *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) The parents of an American national killed in a train accident in Hualien last month on Monday called on the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to take legal responsibility for the tragedy that saw 49 deaths and nearly 200 injuries in order to ensure passenger safety and prevent such tragedies from happening again.

In an open letter read by their lawyer in Taipei, the parents of Senead Short, a 24-year-old English teacher killed in the April 2 incident, said they appreciate the up to NT$30 million (US$1.06 million) compensation promised to the families of victims of the incident.

"However, this should never be considered an appropriate compensation for our daughter's life!" the letter read.

More : Parents of American killed in Hualien train crash to take legal action - Focus Taiwan


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## dyonisien (Aug 30, 2010)

hkskyline said:


> * Parents of American killed in Hualien train crash to take legal action *
> _Excerpt_
> 
> Taipei, May 3 (CNA) The parents of an American national killed in a train accident in Hualien last month on Monday called on the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to take legal responsibility for the tragedy that saw 49 deaths and nearly 200 injuries in order to ensure passenger safety and prevent such tragedies from happening again.
> ...


Here we enter the domain of tabloids... and of money making law companies. What about all those who cannot afford it ?
IMHO the question now would be how to avoid such accidents, how to prevent work vehicles from falling onto the tack., when and how to introduce speed restrictions in working zones. We must learn from accidents.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA facing NT$2.5m fine after delaying incident notification*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
May 5, 2021

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) could face a fine of NT$2.5 million (US$89,439) for delayed notifications to the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board about incidents on its network, the board’s chairman said.

Article 9 of the Transportation Occurrences Investigation Act (運輸事故調查法) requires the TRA to notify the board within two hours of receipt of information about railway incidents. Failure to report such information within two hours could result in a fine of NT$500,000 to NT$2.5 million.

However, the TRA does not always report incidents on time, board chairman Young Hong-tsu (楊宏智) said, adding that the last time the railway agency failed to report such information before the deadline was on April 11, when a fire broke out on a northbound Tzuchiang Express train after it stopped at Jhungli Railway Station in Taoyuan.

More : TRA facing NT$2.5m fine after delaying incident notification - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_1599 by waychen_c, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA train derailment in Taipei delays 20,000 passengers * 
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, May 13 (CNA) A Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train derailed between Taipei and Songshan stations early Thursday, causing chaos for 19,470 passengers.

The incident took place at 3:40 a.m. when the TRA tried to take advantage of the early hours to tow local train No. 9283 away from Songshan to fix a malfunction. The train derailed as it was being towed away.

The EMU600 model was back on track at around 5 a.m., but derailed again at 5:38 a.m., forcing other trains to travel both ways on the remaining track during the rush hour.

More : TRA train derailment in Taipei delays 20,000 passengers - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

花蓮鐵道文化園區 by Shengchieh Shih, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA ridership on Sunday plummets amid case surge *
May 18, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 

Ridership on the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) system on Sunday fell about 60 percent following a surge in locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in Taipei and New Taipei City, the agency said yesterday.

About 200,000 people on Sunday used the TRA system, down from an average of 640,000 people on a regular weekend, Taipei Railway Station Master Tu Wei-ting (涂維庭) said.

TRA estimated a 50 percent decline in ridership during the peak morning hours yesterday, the first work day under stricter disease prevention measures.

More : COVID-19: TRA ridership on Sunday plummets amid case surge - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

P4081140 by 焦點 事件, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

冬山車站 by Jimmy Lu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8791次 大肚&#x3D;追分 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* 12 TRA personnel disciplined over Hualien train crash *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Wednesday handed down punishments to 12 of its personnel for their responsibilities in a Taroko express train crash in Hualien County in eastern Taiwan on April 2 that killed 49 people.

Although the construction site boss whose vehicle slid downhill from the site should be held liable for the country's deadliest rail disaster in decades, the TRA released a list of 12 people reprimanded for negligent supervision on the construction project.

Among those punished are TRA deputy head Chu Lai-shun (朱來順), who was given a minor demerit for oversight, while the head of the TRA public works division in the Hualien section received a major demerit.

More : 12 TRA personnel disciplined over Hualien train crash - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

ASK_3936 by HongXuan Lu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 新北市 瑞芳・📍 三貂嶺車站 / Sandiaoling Station ∣ Ruifang Dist by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Siemens Mobility to upgrade and modernize 450 km of the Taiwan rail network *
Press Release _Excerpt_ 
June 2, 2021

Siemens Mobility is pleased to announce that it has signed a €231 million contract with the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) for the implementation of the “Taiwan Railway Smart Electrical Systems Upgrade and Signalling Interlocking System Update Project.” The project primarily consists of replacing existing Relay Interlockings with new Electronic Interlocking (or EI) Systems at 68 stations that will cover 450 km of the island’s approximately 1110 km total railway network. As part of this contract, Siemens Mobility will provide 10 years of maintenance and the customer also reserves the right to procure EI systems for 10-additional stations. The modernization of the signaling system will allow the TRA to better optimize the operation and maintenance of the rail network. 

“Siemens Mobility is delighted to have been selected to upgrade a significant portion of the rail network in Taiwan. Our state-of-the-art signaling and interlocking technology will augment operations throughout the network by increasing service reliability and availability, which will enhance the passenger experience,” said Andre Rodenbeck, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. “This important project further underscores our leading position in the field for delivering automated and digital signaling systems that increases the safety and capacity of rail travel.” 

More : Siemens Mobility to upgrade and modernize 450 km of the Taiwan rail network | Press | Company | Siemens


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 167 @ 中洲-大湖 EMU1203+1204 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Train operators to cap passenger load factor at 20 percent *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
June 7, 2021

Taiwan’s main railway operators yesterday said that they would seek to reduce ridership on trains to about 20 percent of capacity during the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The aim to reduce ridership is in compliance with Central Epidemic Command Center guidelines, and amid concerns that the virus would spread among travelers and during family gatherings, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said.

Since ticket presale for TRA trains started on May 14, 33,000 tickets had been sold, with a cancelation rate of about 76 percent, the agency said.

The number of sold tickets could fall to below 30,000, as more cancelations are expected, the agency added.

TRA data showed that only 59 reserved seat tickets had been sold for express trains from Taipei to Kaohsiung on Friday evening and Sunday morning, and 57 tickets had been sold for Kaohsiung-to-Taipei trips on Monday next week.

More : COVID-19: Train operators to cap passenger load factor at 20 percent - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

15EC8074 陸送 by 孟勳³, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA urges relief for station stores *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 
June 17, 2021

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has proposed that retail stores at railway stations be allowed to pay half their rent and royalties to weather challenges caused by a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert.

Ridership on railway services has declined dramatically as people have been encouraged to stay at home as much as possible under the alert. This has hurt retail stores and restaurants at railway stations, which depended heavily on business generated by foot traffic.

Some lawmakers at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee on Tuesday seconded a motion asking the TRA to consider reducing the rent and other expenses for retail stores at railway stations.

More : TRA urges relief for station stores - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A5069-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8708 北新竹-新竹 間 by Augustine Huang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Supreme Court upholds 17-year sentence for railway police killer *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a sentence of 17 years in prison and five years of mandatory psychiatric treatment for a man convicted of fatally stabbing a railway police officer in 2019.

In a statement, the Supreme Court said it had rejected an appeal by the defendant, surnamed Cheng (鄭), who sought to have the lower court's guilty verdict overturned on grounds of mental illness.

Prosecutors has also filed an appeal, seeking a stiffer sentence for Cheng, but the Supreme Court rejected that too.

More : Supreme Court upholds 17-year sentence for railway police killer - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

EMU900型電聯車 區間車 1231次 iso2000 244mm f5.6 1/800 3680x2453 by 張亞諾, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 168 @ 保安-台南 EMU1203+1204 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7504次 瑞芳&#x3D;猴硐 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 汐止・📍汐科車站 / Xike Station∣ Xizhi by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

127次(六堆300彩繪車) by 孟勳³, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

203 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* New express train from Japan to arrive at end of July *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Taiwan will receive the first of 50 intercity express trains ordered from Japanese manufacturer Hitachi about one month later than scheduled on July 30, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Wednesday.

After the new train, an EMU3000 model consisting of 12 cars, arrives at Hualien Port, it will be tested for quality and safety for approximately three months before entering service, the TRA said in a statement.

The testing will be overseen by three parties, the TRA, Hitachi, and TÜV Rheinland Taiwan Ltd., which will perform independent verification and validation (IV&V) functions, the agency said.

More : New express train from Japan to arrive at end of July - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Families of train crash dead offered NT$15.8m*
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
July 11, 2021

A NT$15.8 million (US$562,558) settlement package has been offered to the families of those who died in a fatal train crash in Hualien County earlier this year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.

On April 2, Taroko Express No. 408, traveling from New Taipei City to Taitung, derailed as it entered the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Hualien’s Sioulin Township (秀林) after it hit a crane truck that had slid down a slope from a work site onto the rails. Forty-nine people died and more than 200 were injured, making it the nation’s most devastating railway accident in decades.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) has authorized the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) to compensate those involved to avoid lengthy litigation and further harm, the ministry said.

More : Families of train crash dead offered NT$15.8m - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

168次 by 孟勳³, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA, Local, EMU500, Yilan Line by Hsinyu Chuang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167次 by 孟勳³, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_3286-2 by Ngan Ken, on Flickr


----------



## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)

Taiwan receives delivery of first EMU3000 train from Japan - Focus Taiwan


Taipei, July 30 (CNA) The first of 50 new intercity express trains ordered by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) arrived at Hualien Port from Japan on Friday and could enter service on the east coast line by the end of this year.




focustaiwan.tw


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8774次 by 孟勳³, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8773次 汐止&#x3D;汐科 by 炳旭 林, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 8773 @ 新馬-冬山 E237+EMU3000 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6440 by waychen_c, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taipei Times _Excerpt_
August 11, 2021
*COVID-19: TRA’s ‘Future’ excursion train to resume service*

The “Future” (鳴日號) excursion train, operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), is to resume service today after a three-month suspension due to a nationwide COVID-19 alert.

On Monday, Lion Travel, which runs excursion train tours, said that from September to November, its tours would feature food, Aboriginal cultures and music.

A four-day tour to Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties, which Lion Travel said would be launched on Sept. 18, is to feature a visit to the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival, while offering traditional Taiwanese toys, Taiwanese operas and state banquet dishes prepared by chefs from the restaurant chain Tu Hsiao Yueh (度小月).

The stops in Hualien and Taitung would feature orange daylily fields, classes on how to make dried pineapple and pineapple jams, and dishes of red sticky rice, as well as explorations of Amis culture, the travel agency said.

Virus mitigation measures mean that only 50 percent of the train’s seats would be filled, with passengers required to register their contact information, the TRA said.

More : COVID-19: TRA’s ‘Future’ excursion train to resume service - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5865 by waychen_c, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_4330 by li cheng TSAI, on Flickr


----------



## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Two more people charged in Taroko train derailment *
August 20, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_

Hualien prosecutors yesterday indicted two more suspects over the derailment of a Taroko Express train in Hualien County on April 2, bringing the total of people indicted over the incident to nine.

The train was traveling from New Taipei City to Taitung on April 2 when it struck a crane truck that had slid down a hill onto the tracks from a construction site outside an entrance to the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Hualien County, killing 49 people and injuring more than 200.

The suspects are an engineer working for the train operator and the project manager of a contractor, the prosecutors said.

The engineer, surnamed Pan (潘), is a supervisor at Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) Hualien Engineering Section, and the manager, surnamed Kuo (郭), works for CYL Engineering Consulting Inc (中棪工程顧), which supervised the construction site, they said.

Both men have been indicted for negligence resulting in death, and Pan is also charged with forgery, as he allegedly submitted false reports about the project’s progress, Hualien head prosecutor Chou Fang-yi (周芳怡) said.

More : Two more people charged in Taroko train derailment - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

521 內壢-中壢 by Ming Da Wu, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_2598 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Contractor ignored truck problem in Taroko case: probe* 
August 24, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_ 

A Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) contractor whose truck slid onto a railway track, leading to a fatal derailment of a Taroko Express train on April 2, had experienced a battery failure on his way to work, an investigation by the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board showed yesterday.

The train driver had only seven seconds to respond before the train crashed into the truck and derailed inside the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道), it said.

The crash killed 49 people and injured 213.

The board published a 278-page report on the facts of the accident following a four-month investigation.

The final investigation report is to be released in April next year, in which the board would identify the main causes of the accident and make safety suggestions to all concerned parties, board chairman Young Hong-tsu (楊宏智) said.

More : Contractor ignored truck problem in Taroko case: probe - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Taiwan extends Level 2 COVID alert, but eases train restrictions *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) Taiwan will extend its current Level 2 alert against COVID-19 to at least Sept. 20 as sporadic domestically transmitted cases with unknown causes continue to be reported, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Monday.

Restrictions on seat arrangements on Taiwan Railways and high-speed rail trains, however, will be eased to some extent starting Tuesday, Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said at a daily CECC briefing.

The current Level-2 alert was previously set to expire on Monday after being extended for two weeks on Aug. 24.

...

According to the CECC, the Taiwan Railways Administration and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. will start to sell reserved tickets for all seats on trains, but a ban on the sale of unreserved and standing room seats will be maintained.

Currently, the two railway systems are only allowed to sell a portion of available seats to ensure that passengers maintain appropriate social distancing.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202109060015


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

i havent heard of too many rail companies accepting apple pay for ticket purchases. any others?









Taiwan Railway adopts Apple Pay for mobile ticket purchases | AppleInsider


Train passengers in Taiwan will be able to book and buy tickets for rail journeys using Apple Pay, with a new ticketing service arriving on September 7.




appleinsider.com


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 8781 @ 貢寮-雙溪 EMU900 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7558次 冬山&#x3D;新馬 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

花蓮玉里｜Taiwan by 里卡豆 Ricardo, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7358次 花蓮港 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

168 後庄 by Ming Da Wu, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 汐止・📍汐科車站 / Xike Station∣ Xizhi by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 8794 @ 汐止-五堵 DRC1000 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_8943 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2021.10.09~2021.10.10 by o331128, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7501 新竹-三姓橋 by Ming Da Wu, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Driver involved in Puyuma derailment sentenced to 4.5 years in prison *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) The driver behind the derailment of a Puyuma Express train in Yilan in 2018 that resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injured more than 200 was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for negligent homicide by Yilan District Court Monday.

Meanwhile, two Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) supervisors were found not guilty in the case, the district court said.

The ruling can be appealed.

The derailment occurred on Oct. 21, 2018 at 4:49 p.m. when Puyuma Express No. 6432 entered a curve near Xinma Station in Yilan County.

According to the court, the driver, Yu Chen-chung (尤振仲), should be held responsible for the derailment because he breached TRA operation rules by switching off the automatic train protection (ATP) signaling system, which was designed to automatically slow down the train when it exceeded the speed limit, causing it to travel at well over the speed limit.

More : Driver involved in Puyuma derailment sentenced to 4.5 years in prison - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_1643 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2021/9/28 by 吳 政彦, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 642 @ 海端-關山 E238 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6789 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Puyuma Express driver ruled responsible *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Oct 19, 2021

The conductor deemed responsible for the fatal 2018 derailment of a Puyuma Express train was yesterday sentenced to four years and six months in prison for negligent homicide, while two Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) officials were found not guilty.

The Yilan District Court determined that the cause of the crash on Oct. 21, 2018, which killed 18 people and injured 200, was the direct result of conductor Yu Chen-chung (尤振仲) turning off the automatic train protection (ATP) system after mistakenly attributing it to power failures originating from the air compression system.

Without the ATP system, which automatically slows the train when it is moving too fast, the southbound No. 6432 train entered a curve near Sinma Station (新馬) in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) at nearly twice the permissible speed, causing it to derail, the court found.

More : Puyuma Express driver ruled responsible - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 台北 松山・📍松山車站 / Songshan Station∣ Taipei Songshan by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA, Local, EMU500, Yilan Line by Hsinyu Chuang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

猜火車(DSC_2193) by nans0410(busy), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8706次 中壢&#x3D;內壢 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

521次 百福 by 飛隼 映像, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 417 @ 瑞芳-四腳亭 TEMU1000 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_UR66088 by chia ying Yang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

高雄車站＿長焦壓縮感Dan-0133 by 昇典影像 www.dantw.com, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

4666次 關山&#x3D;瑞和 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA breakdowns disrupt service twice yesterday *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Nov 19, 2021

The Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) EMU500 train carriages are to undergo detailed inspections after an axle box overheated and generated smoke in one of the carriages yesterday morning.

The incident occurred at 7:54am, when passengers on the commuter train departing from Chiayi to Taichung had to evacuate after smoke was spotted in the No. 3 carriage. The source was later identified as the overheated axle box.

It was one of two disruptions on the nation’s largest railway system yesterday morning.

More : TRA breakdowns disrupt service twice yesterday - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7502次 三貂嶺&#x3D;牡丹 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

295A1699_1SS by JLC_photography, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6839次 龍井&#x3D;大肚 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA construction accident again raises alarm on rail system safety *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, Dec. 1 (CNA) A steel pile being used on a Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) construction site fell and hit a Taroko Express train on Wednesday in an accident eerily similar to one in April that left 49 people dead and more than 200 injured.

Though the accident Wednesday did not cause any injuries, it again involved poor TRA oversight of its contractors, a construction site hovering dangerously above railway tracks on the TRA's Eastern Line, and questions about the quality of the work being performed.

It occurred at 8:52 a.m., when a section of a steel pile that was hoisted in the air above the northbound track between the Dali and Fulong stations somehow broke off and fell on the window of the locomotive of train No. 207 just as it was riding by, according to the TRA.

More : TRA construction accident again raises alarm on rail system safety - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Two officials fired after Taroko express incident *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Dec 2, 2021

Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) yesterday ordered the dismissal of the director and a section chief of the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) construction department after a steel pile fell from a construction site onto the tracks, hitting a westbound Taroko Express train yesterday morning.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

Wang vowed to transform the agency into a state-run corporation within three years when he assumed his post following the April 2 derailment of an eastbound Taroko Express at the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Huailen County. That incident, which killed 49 people and injured more than 200, was caused by a crane truck that rolled onto the tracks from a construction site.

More : Two officials fired after Taroko express incident - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Nov 30, 2021
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
*East coast express train speeds to rise*

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to raise the speed of express trains on the east coast railway system until high-speed rail becomes available around Taiwan, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.

Wang made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, when asked about former transportation minister Chen Chien-yu’s (陳建宇) criticism of his vision of building an “around-the-nation high-speed rail system,” which Wang has advocated for.

Wang also told Formosa TV host Hu Wan-ling (胡婉玲) in an interview on Saturday last week that Taiwan would have 20 high-speed rail stations once the system is accessible across the nation.

More : East coast express train speeds to rise - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

觀光列車 by Stephen Wu, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8791次 宜蘭 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

藍皮解憂號 by Stephen Wu, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*TRA loses compensation lawsuit in Puyuma derailment case*
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Thursday lost a civil case in which it was seeking NT$612 million (US$22.08 million) in compensation from Japanese company Sumitomo Corp. over a train accident in Taiwan that resulted in the deaths of 18 people three years ago.

The accident, which also left more than 200 passengers injured, occurred on Oct. 21, 2018, when a Puyuma Express train, carrying 366 passengers, derailed on a curve near Xinma Station in Yilan County.

TRA subsequently filed a NT$612 million lawsuit in the Taipei District Court against Sumitomo, the Japanese supplier of its Puyuma tilting train fleet, saying that the fatal accident had been caused by faulty design of the train.

More : TRA loses compensation lawsuit in Puyuma derailment case - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


----------



## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)

The EMU3000 series is a series of electric multiple unit trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA). The trains are built by the Japanese company Hitachi Rail as inter-city trains


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8773 四腳亭-瑞芳 by Ming Da Wu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*NPP urges comprehensive TRA reform *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Dec 15, 2021

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) should record all incidents, as well as the causes of the incidents, on its Web site so that the public can review them, the New Power Party (NPP) caucus said yesterday, calling for a comprehensive reform of the TRA after 222 abnormal operational incidents were reported between June and September.

While the TRA disclosed the incidents to the public when they occurred, it did not record the information for future reference, NPP deputy caucus whip Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) said, adding that the TRA’s monthly report of railway incidents is not made public until two months later.

“Statistics show that two to three incidents happen on the TRA system every day. This is not an illusion,” Chen said, adding that the number only included major incidents that must be reported.

More : NPP urges comprehensive TRA reform - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7502次 新富&#x3D;富岡 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 1208 @ 百福-七堵 EMU900 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Bureau plans dual tracks for Hualien-Taitung line *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Dec 22, 2021

By 2027, a second track is to be installed on the railway line connecting Hualien and Taitung counties, the Railway Bureau said yesterday.

Hualien Station is 162km from Taitung County’s Chiben Station, but 112.65km of the distance consists of sections of single track, Eastern Engineering Office deputy director Hsia Heng-ren (夏恒仁) said.

Thirteen curved sections of track with a radius of less than 800m would also be improved, while electric cables, signals and facilities along the route would be upgraded, Hsia said.

More : Bureau plans dual tracks for Hualien-Taitung line - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA to operate 309 extra trains for Lunar New Year holiday *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) A total of 309 train journeys will be added to the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA's) regular schedule from Jan. 27-Feb. 7, 2022 to meet an expected surge in demand over the Lunar New Year holiday, the TRA announced on Thursday.

Booking of the holiday train tickets for the TRA's Eastern Trunk Line will start at 12 a.m. Dec. 29, while booking for Western Trunk Line tickets will kick off at 12 a.m. Dec. 30, the TRA said in a statement.

The TRA said that 36 additional Shulin-Hualien Fu-Hsing trains would run from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6 next year in the eastern part of Taiwan. Discounted fares of NT$100 (US$3.6) and NT$200 will be on offer for Taipei-Yilan and Taipei-Hualien routes, respectively.

More : TRA to operate 309 extra trains for Lunar New Year holiday - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

汐科站｜X100V by 里卡豆 Ricardo, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7528次 暖暖&#x3D;四腳亭 by 飛隼 映像, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA launches new intercity express train with business seats *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) officially launched its new EMU3000 intercity express train, which is the railway operator's only model with business-class seats, with a special trip from Taitung Station in southeastern Taiwan to Shulin Station in New Taipei on Sunday.

The new EMU3000 trains, which offer more seats than existing express services, are part of the government's plan to improve highways and railways in eastern Taiwan, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said at a ceremony at Taitung Station, located in the county of the same name, before the trip.

Each EMU3000 train, which was built by Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, has 538 seats in 12 cars, including one car with 30 business-class seats, according to the TRA.

More : TRA launches new intercity express train with business seats - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

080A3961 by qANTAS TSENG, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

510次 中壢&#x3D;內壢 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0192-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_UR60103 by chia ying Yang, on Flickr

_UR69325 by chia ying Yang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6767Bㄘ by 昱瀚 CHEN, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0547-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Eating, drinking allowed on trains for now: TRA *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Jan 13, 2022

For now, people are not banned from eating and drinking on trains, despite the rise in locally transmitted cases of COVID-19, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday.

“On Sunday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that the nation would remain on a level 2 COVID-19 alert until at least Jan. 24. So we will follow the center’s disease prevention guidelines for passengers on public transport systems,” Wang said.

However, bus and train depots have been asked to disinfect facilities more frequently, he said.

More : Eating, drinking allowed on trains for now: TRA - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6766次 @平溪&#x3D;菁桐 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6766A次_八堵南_2022.01.08 by 台鐵一株菜, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0742-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

D4S_4623 by jason199567, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8262次 北新竹&#x3D;竹北 by 炳旭 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Draft ‘Taiwan railway corporation act’ to be debated at next session: minister *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Jan 19, 2022 

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said that it aims to have lawmakers deliberate a draft “Taiwan railway corporation act” in the next legislative session.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) was speaking at the ministry’s new year news conference when asked about progress on reforming the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and turning it into a state-run corporation.

When Wang took office in April last year, his No. 1 pledge was to accomplish the transformation in three years.

More : Draft ‘Taiwan railway corporation act’ to be debated at next session: minister - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

VCT_3106 by 飛隼 映像, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*TRA to seek damages for reported contractor error *
_Excerpt_
Jan 27, 2022

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said that it would seek restitution from a contractor working on the agency’s safety enhancement program for the improper handling of construction materials that led to them obstructing a railway line.

The incident occurred at 10:06am on Tuesday as a commuter train headed from Changhua County to Taitung County passed through Pingtung County and a construction site along the line, the agency said.

The site, where a railway crossing is being constructed near Pingtung County’s Fangliao Station, is about 4.8m from the track, the agency said.

More : TRA to seek damages for reported contractor error - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Train by ACHE HSIEH, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167次 @花壇&#x3D;大村 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 新北市 平溪・📍望古車站 / Wanggu Station∣Pingxi Dist. by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2022/01/30_5407次區間快車_桃園 by Local Sun, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167次 台南&#x3D;保安 by 山姆, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

9770次 中壢&#x3D;內壢 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

02122022-keelungtrain27 by ron Pan, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA reform stirs strike warning *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Feb 11, 2022

The Taiwan Railway Labor Union on Wednesday said it might hold a protest and go on strike next month if the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) presents its proposal to transform itself into a state-run corporation to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications without first reaching an agreement with the union.

After a derailment of a Taroko Express train in Hualien County on April 2 last year killed 49 people, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材), who took office on April 20, vowed to transform the agency into a state-run corporation within three years.

Wang has since last month met with union representatives, trying to convince them that the transformation would solve the railway operator’s problems.

More : TRA reform stirs strike warning - Taipei Times


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801次 @十二番＝十一番 by 容緣 林, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

168次 彰化 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8712ㄘ 香山=三姓橋 by 昱瀚 CHEN, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA's 1st female station master at Taipei Main striving for better passenger service *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) Hu Yung-chi (胡詠芝), the first woman to be appointed as station master in the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA's) biggest hub, said her main goal is to offer more personalized and professional service to passengers.

Hu, who took up the post at Taipei Main Station on Feb. 7, told CNA she hopes her staff will serve with patience and efficiency.

No one should be deemed a "difficult passenger," Hu said, adding that if people's requests cannot be met, they have a right to to be told what is being done to help them.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202202130007


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Agency to ask firm to fix ‘flaw’ in new train doors *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Feb 22, 2022

The Taiwan Railways Administration plans to ask Hyundai Rotem to address a “craftsmanship flaw” in doors of EMU900 commuter trains, after they opened on their own several times over the past year, the agency said yesterday.

To replace its aging fleet, the nation’s largest railway operator spent NT$25.3 billion (US$909.09 million at the current exchange rate) on 520 EMU900 carriages from the South Korean rolling stock manufacturer. An EMU900-series train consists of 10 carriages.

Sixteen EMU900 trains have been delivered, of which 15 have been in operation since April last year. The agency is still testing one EMU900 train.

More : Agency to ask firm to fix ‘flaw’ in new train doors - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

167次 大橋=台南 by 山姆, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

02282022-ShiFen82 by ron Pan, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Cabinet approves draft bill to make TRA a state-run corporation *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) The Cabinet on Thursday approved a draft bill that seeks to convert Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) into a state-run corporation, as part of the government's wider efforts to reform the debt-ridden, antiquated agency.

The draft bill stipulates that TRA will be run solely by the government, and a fund will be established by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to take over TRA's short-term debt of NT$148.4 billion (US$5.3 billion). In the process, there will be no layoffs at TRA, the draft bill states.

Submitted by the MOTC on Feb. 25, the draft bill was given the green light during a weekly Cabinet meeting and now has to be sent to the Legislature for review.

More : Cabinet approves draft bill to make TRA a state-run corporation - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* New railway inspectors begin training in Taipei *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Mar 9, 2022 

The first two railway track inspectors recruited last year by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications began their seven-week training yesterday.

The inspectors are to be responsible for overseeing the safety of the operation of railway tracks upon completion of their training.

Following the example of the airline industry, the bureau created 42 vacancies for the position, which are still open to applications, to improve railway supervision, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said.

A ceremony was held yesterday morning at National Taipei University of Technology to mark the beginning of the training and a milestone in railway supervision.

The bureau has commissioned the university to provide the training, including organizing courses, inviting lecturers, arranging venues and preparing teaching materials, it said.

More : New railway inspectors begin training in Taipei - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2022.01.24 3513A次 東海-枋寮 by 翊庭 高, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

168 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20220331 , 8782J次花港 by 籃一昌, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Railway reforms too slow, NPP says *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Mar 30, 2022

The New Power Party (NPP) caucus yesterday urged the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) to speed up its train safety reforms, as the agency has shown only minor improvements.

The Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications should examine whether the railway agency has fulfilled the pledges it made to ensure a safe railway service, the NPP caucus said.

The caucus said it hosted a media conference on the urgency of railway safety reform at the TRA, as it would soon be one year since Taroko Express No. 408 derailed in Hualien County on April 2 last year, killing 49 people and injuring 213.

More : Railway reforms too slow, NPP says - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

'22 Spring | Yilan 252 by Victor CC Hung, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Families of Taroko train crash victims to get NT$150m in total damages *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) The relatives of the 49 people who died last year in a train crash in eastern Taiwan will receive a total NT$150 million (US$5.24 million) in damages, Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) confirmed Thursday.

Following a Facebook post on the matter by the families' lawyer, Wang confirmed to CNA that he had agreed to the compensation package, after months of discussions with the victims' relatives.

"Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) was at fault, and that has to be acknowledged," Wang said, referring to the state-run operator of the Taroko Express train that crashed in Hualien on April 2, 2021.

More : Families of Taroko train crash victims to get NT$150m in total damages - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Families commemorate loved ones on 1-year anniversary of train crash *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, April 2 (CNA) Family members of the 49 people who died in a Taroko Express train crash in eastern Taiwan last year came together to commemorate their loved ones on the one-year anniversary of the accident on Saturday.

More than 40 members of the victims' families gathered at the crash site near Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien County for the commemoration.

An EMU3000 train numbered 408 made a temporary stop at the tracks near the tunnel Saturday to blow its horn in honor of the victims before continuing its journey southbound.

More : Families commemorate loved ones on 1-year anniversary of train crash - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* THSRC, TRA services interrupted after electric tower brought down *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, April 1 (CNA) Train services operated by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) were partly interrupted Friday when the demolition of a cement factory went wrong and brought down an electric tower in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, the operators said.

No casualties were reported.

The electric tower operated by state-run utility Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) was brought down at 3:40 p.m. when Southeast Cement Corp. demolished a factory building, shutting down electricity for part of the high speed rail system, the company said.

More : THSRC, TRA services interrupted after electric tower brought down - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* THSRC, TRA seek NT$79m redress from cement firm *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Apr 8, 2022

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) are collectively seeking restitution of nearly NT$79 million (US$2.7 million) from Southeast Cement Corp for disrupting railway service on Friday last week, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday.

The day before the nation was to observe a four-day Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend, a cement storage facility at the company’s Kaohsiung plant collapsed and crushed an electric tower. Power supply to the high-speed rail system was subsequently cut off, crippling train operations between Tainan and Kaohsiung’s Zuoying Station.

To restore power to the high-speed railway, power was temporarily suspended on the TRA, disrupting railway service to stations in Kaohsiung’s Nanzih (楠梓) and Zuoying (左營) districts.

More : THSRC, TRA seek NT$79m redress from cement firm - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Train riders still free to eat, drink *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Apr 12, 2022

Despite a surge in local COVID-19 cases, railway passengers can still eat and drink onboard, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.

Wang was responding to questions on whether food and beverage consumption would be prohibited on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) trains, as COVID-19 infections have risen dramatically since the beginning of this month.

Wang said the ministry has no plans to reimpose a ban.

More : Train riders still free to eat, drink - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_5956 by 辰瑋 游, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

377次 by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_9582 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* More than 12,000 TRA workers opt for day off on Labor Day *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, April 16 (CNA) More than 12,000 Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) employees, including 90 percent of its drivers, have vowed not to work on May 1, to protest against the government's proposal to corporatize the transportation agency, according to TRA on Saturday.

Based on shift schedules, 1,200 TRA drivers should be working on Labor Day, which falls on a Monday this year, making that weekend a three-day holiday, but fewer than 40 of them may actually show up for work, said the TRA, which operates Taiwan's only island-wide railway network.

As a result of this, all train services on Eastern lines that day will be cancelled and Western lines will see only a few commuter train operations, the TRA said.

More : More than 12,000 TRA workers opt for day off on Labor Day - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

3005次 by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Snake on a train delays travelers in Yilan County *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
Apr 19, 2022

An eastbound train was slightly delayed at the Yilan Railway Station after a large snake was found in one of the train carriages, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said yesterday.

The Tze-Chiang Express train No. 272 departed from the Miaoli Railway Station at 5:27am headed for Hualien, the agency said.

At 8:19am, just after the train passed the Ruifang Station (瑞芳) in New Taipei City, passengers informed the conductor that a 1m-long snake was coiled on a handrail in the 12th carriage, the agency said.

More : Snake on a train delays travelers in Yilan County - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Union protest set to paralyze TRA services nationwide on Labor Day *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Following an earlier announcement that over 90 percent of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) drivers have vowed not to work on Labor Day, to protest the government's proposed corporatization of the agency, a TRA official said Tuesday such a move would lead to the suspension of train services across Taiwan on the May 1 holiday.

Around 13,000 of TRA's 15,000 employees are union members and after conducting a poll, Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) earlier announced that more than 90 percent of TRA drivers have vowed not to work on Labor Day.

Although 1,200 drivers are scheduled to work overtime on Labor Day -- which falls on a Sunday this year, making that weekend a three-day holiday -- fewer than 40 have said they are willing to work, said the agency, which operates Taiwan's only island-wide railway network.

More : https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202204190018


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_8609 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_1976 by 陳 冠全, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8776次 by Yunraynium Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7801次 by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA head confirms service suspension on Labor Day due to union protest *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, April 24 (CNA) The head of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Sunday confirmed that the administration's railway service will be suspended across Taiwan on Labor Day after most union drivers vowed not to work on the holiday because of a labor dispute.

In an open letter to the public, TRA Director-General Du Wei (杜微) apologized for the inconvenience, adding that passengers who are forced to cancel their trips can claim a refund within a year without a service charge.

According to Du, 1,200 drivers had been scheduled to work overtime on Labor Day, May 1, to handle the spike in demand for the three-day holiday weekend, but almost none will report for their shifts.

More : TRA head confirms service suspension on Labor Day due to union protest - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

432 by 黃 鴻恩, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA holds drill to prepare for Labor Day service halt due to strike *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, April 25 (CNA) A drill involving the use of tour buses on east coast routes served by Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) trains was held Monday at Hualien Train Station as part of a contingency plan to tackle an upcoming strike by TRA employees on Labor Day on May 1.

The drill simulated a scenario in which passengers who found there were no TRA train services available at Hualien station sought help from the service counter and then shifted to taking extra highway buses and tour buses arranged by the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) by using e-tickets.

TRA Chief Secretary Chen Yu-mou (陳裕謀) told reporters that TRA had coordinated with DGH's Hualien Motor Vehicle Office to provide extra bus services, which are called "quasi-trains," on the non-stop route between Hualien and Taitung train stations, and another route between the two stations with 10 stops including Ji'an, Shoufeng, Fenglin, Guangfu, Ruisui, Yuli, and Fuli in Hualien County as well as Chishang, Guanshan, and Luye in Taitung County.

More : TRA holds drill to prepare for Labor Day service halt due to strike - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Ministry fails to halt TRA strike plan *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Apr 27, 2022

The Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) is still planning to go on strike on Sunday after it again failed to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday morning.

As of yesterday, the union had mobilized approximately 13,000 Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) workers to strike on International Workers’ Day in protest against the ministry’s plan to corporatize the railway agency.

As no TRA trains are to run on Sunday, the ministry on Friday said that it planned to use high-speed rail trains and buses to transport people.

More : Ministry fails to halt TRA strike plan - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_1055 by brook1979, on Flickr


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*TRA corporation on the wrong track *
Taipei Times Editorial _Excerpt_
May 1, 2022

Week after week, Taiwan’s rail workers have been criticized in the media, with reports saying they have no support from the public or political parties, and that they should all give in to government plans to change the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) from a government agency to a corporatized entity.

Closer review, however, shows how the workers’ position — conveyed through the Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU), the National Train Drivers’ Union and the Taiwan Railway Union — is perfectly reasonable. This is why they can win their struggle against some of the wealthiest and most powerful entities in Taiwan.

The most sickening step in the corporatization process is a huge land grab that would see the selloff or development of massive railway lands to clear the NT$140 billion (US$4.75 billion) debt accumulated by the TRA.

“Once you bring the word L-A-N-D into the discussion, the entire railway debate stops,” retired British architect Edward Ellis said in a phone interview from Kuala Lumpur.

More : TRA corporation on the wrong track - Taipei Times


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

台中隨拍｜Samyang 135mm f/1.8 FE by 里卡豆 Ricardo, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8796次 by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8797次 清水-沙鹿 by 驊祐 呂, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Train union plans to hold second strike on Dragon Boat Festival *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) The Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) on Thursday said it plans to stage a strike during Dragon Boat Festival on June 3 as negotiations with the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on a bill to turn the administration into a public company failed to make headway.

According to the TRLU, the parties failed to reach agreement on a range of issues during a meeting held Thursday with TRA Director-General Du Wei (杜微).

One of the major disagreements, the TRLU said, is how to pay off the TRA's debts after it becomes a public company.

More : Train union plans to hold second strike on Dragon Boat Festival - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_9801 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A5568-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*What is the TRA and who has a problem with it?*
Radio Taiwan International _Excerpt_
May 7, 2022

The Taiwan Railways Administration has been in hot water recently due to a strike by the Taiwan Railways Labor Union over a busy holiday weekend.

The first railway in Taiwan was constructed in 1893, during the rule of China’s Qing Dynasty, which, by that point in time, extended to Taiwan. The line was only about 100 kilometers long, and already in poor condition by the time Taiwan was handed over to Japan in 1895.

Over the 50 years of Japanese rule, Taiwan’s railway system was greatly expanded, connecting the north and the south of the Taiwan island along its west coast.

In 1945, Taiwan was again handed over to China’s KMT government, which established the Taiwan Railways Administration three years later. It wasn’t until 1979, however, that the main western line was fully electrified. In 1991 the southern tips of western and eastern lines were connected, closing the railway loop circling Taiwan. TRA currently operates 12 lines with 241 stations along its 1065 km of railroad. In 2018, Taiwanese trains carried over 231 million passengers.

More : What is the TRA and who has a problem with it?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A5726-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Report into deadly train crash highlights 'unprofessional' worksites *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Unprofessional worksite practices and unclear contract stipulations were among a number of failures surrounding a train crash that killed 49 and injured 213 in April last year, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) said Tuesday.

On April 2, 2021, the No. 408 Taroko Express Train derailed and crashed into the wall of the Qingshui Tunnel at 9:28 a.m. after hitting a contractor's crane truck that had rolled onto the tracks.

A TTSB report released Tuesday found that pressure from the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) to expedite already delayed construction had led to contractors ignoring instructions to suspend work on the day of the crash.

More : Report into deadly train crash highlights 'unprofessional' worksites - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

230 by 黃 鴻恩, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Crash report suggests limiting standees *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
May 11, 2022

A final report on the deadly Taroko Express crash last year by the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board yesterday recommended limiting standing passengers who are at greater risk of being injured in an accident.

The number of standing passengers injured when Taroko Express No. 408 crashed on April 2 last year was seven times greater than the number of seated passengers who were injured, the board said.

The majority of those injured were in cars 7 and 8 — the two frontmost cars — and most of those injured were standing at the time of the accident, chief investigator Lin Pei-da (林沛達) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.

More : Crash report suggests limiting standees - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

521次 by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_3315 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8772 by 黃 鴻恩, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

9998 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

鯉魚潭橋 by 郭董 Kimi Kuo, on Flickr


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## robhood (Aug 6, 2009)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7556次 五堵貨場 by 鄭 思惟, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2022.07.10-台中隨拍 by o331128, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8791次 內壢=中壢 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taichung railway station｜臺中火車站空拍夜拍 by 里卡豆 Ricardo, on Flickr

Taichung railway station｜臺中火車站空拍夜拍 by 里卡豆 Ricardo, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Railway union threatens to strike over unresolved pay issues *
_Excerpt_

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) The Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) on Tuesday issued a statement indicating it will stage another strike on Mid-Autumn Festival in September if Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) fails to address the issue of low pay and guarantee there will be no pay cuts after restructuring.

The TRA must take action to guarantee its employees the "reasonable salary and benefits" to which they are entitled before it is turned into a state-run corporation, the union said, adding that current pay levels are too low.

The union asked for a 50 percent wage hike for all TRA workers in June, one month after the Legislative Yuan passed a bill to transform the TRA into a state-owned company in 2024, amid public calls to reform the debt-ridden agency following two deadly train accidents in 2018 and 2021.

More : Railway union threatens to strike over unresolved pay issues - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Rail ticket prices could rise after corporatization *
Taipei Times _Excerpt_
July 14, 2022

The government would consider raising Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) ticket prices once the agency is transformed into a state-run corporation in 2024, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

Wang’s remarks came after the agency published a research report, saying that its ticket prices should be at least doubled to generate a return of 3 to 5 percent.

The agency’s ticket prices have not been adjusted for 27 years, because it has been designated as a public transportation service provider, Wang said.

More : Rail ticket prices could rise after corporatization - Taipei Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_2349 by 陳 冠全, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA tests warning system designed to improve railway safety *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) A locally-developed temporary speed restriction (TSR) system that is intended to improve train safety was successfully tested on the tracks this week, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Saturday.

The TSR system, developed by the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, was put to the test for the first time July 21-22 on a 51-kilometer section of the TRA's North-Link line that runs from Su'ao in Yilan County to Hualien County, the TRA said in a release.

The system that is designed to be installed on a railway was tested to see if it could detect unidentifiable objects on the tracks as a train traveling at different speeds approaches, the railway administration said.

More : TRA tests warning system designed to improve railway safety - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA, R49, Taichung Port Line by Hsinyu Chuang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Taiwan Railway class E100 (No.1) by Brian Yang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2022/7/14/R by 吳 政彦, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

🇹🇼 彰化市・📍彰化扇型車庫 / Changhua Railway Roundhouse ∣ Changhua by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr

🇹🇼 彰化市・📍彰化扇型車庫 / Changhua Railway Roundhouse ∣ Changhua by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr

🇹🇼 彰化市・📍彰化扇型車庫 / Changhua Railway Roundhouse ∣ Changhua by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_4063 by 陳 冠全, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

224次 永樂=東澳 by Xinru Chen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A9513-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5646 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TRA 8215 @ 七堵-百福 TEMU1000 by JamesChan7751, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7201次(次迴E1005) by 孟勳⁴, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_9971 by Wei-Kai Shao, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

192 南港=汐科 by ₵₱Ħ, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7202 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC06788 by 劉 家熏, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

IMG_3264 by Chao-Wei Juan, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

X_3089 by 陳 冠全, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_4472 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8795B by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

7022. Taiwan Railway. by 林智仁, en Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_5786 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

301 by 黃 鴻恩, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7602 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

6605A次 by Yunraynium Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20220806 , 6605次內獅北 by 籃一昌, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

EMU Roundhouse display by ₵₱Ħ, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

8791次 百福 by 鄭 思惟, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

801A0934-編輯 by 鹽味九K ( IG: iwakuma.kelvin), on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Untitled by Eric Liu, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_7779 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

12052022-RoundHouse003 by ron Pan, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Tickets for Alishan New Year's Day sunrise trains to go on sale from Dec. 12 *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Tickets for the Alishan Forest Railway's sunrise-watching trains on New Year's Day 2023 will be available from Dec. 12, its operator said Wednesday.

A total of 12 trains will depart that day starting at 2:50 a.m., while eight return trains will serve tourists after sunrise at about 7:05 a.m., according to the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office.

Ticket sales for train rides on the Chushan Line -- which is popular for viewing the sunrise over Jade Mountain -- will first open to groups consisting of at least 50 tourists from 9 a.m. on Dec. 12 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 15, the office said.

More : Tickets for Alishan New Year's Day sunrise trains to go on sale from Dec. 12 - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

20221210 , 7048次竹中 by 籃一昌, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

CK124上轉車台鳴笛 by 中中 阿, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* TRA to start Lunar New Year train ticket bookings, operate extra services *
_Excerpt_ 

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Train ticket reservations for the Lunar New Year holiday are set to begin next week, with additional services to be added to the regular schedule from Jan. 18-30, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) announced on Friday.

Bookings for the holiday train tickets on the TRA's Eastern Trunk Line will start at 12 a.m. Dec. 21, while reservations for the Western Trunk Line tickets will kick off at 12 a.m. Dec. 22, the TRA said in a statement.

A total of 287 train journeys will be added to the island's rail network to meet the expected high demand over the nearly week-long Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Jan. 20, according to the TRA.

More : TRA to start Lunar New Year train ticket bookings, operate extra services - Focus Taiwan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The train ride home by Joe Collver, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

2022.11.07 7508次/407次 瑞芳=猴硐間 by 翊庭 高, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

台鐵五權站 by Eiki Wang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

7202 by 蕭 暐承, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

_MG_6211 by weichen_kh, on Flickr


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