Workers from the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) yesterday successfully called for the renegotiation of a contract between the TRA and the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC). They said the present contract would lead to a reduction in TRA services that could cost them their jobs.
Over 1,000 TRA workers from all over Taiwan protested against the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in front of the Legislative Yuan, which was to host a public hearing on the issue yesterday. They said that the ministry had helped the THSRC to take unfair advantage of the TRA by forcing the TRA to sign an unfair contract with the THSRC last year.
The dispute concerns usage by THSRC -- the private company which is constructing the Taipei to Kaohsiung High Speed Railway Line -- of a TRA platform and two railway lines in Taipei.
To help the THSRC's construction project, the TRA was asked to make available in perpetuity to THSRC one platform at Taipei Main Station and two railway lines between that station and Sungshan Station in Taipei from July -- which would force the TRA to cancel 104 of its current 376 daily train services between Taipei and Sungshan. The TRA workers say this will cost the company NT$2.4 billion annually.
The existing contract does not require THSRC to pay compensation to the TRA, but the government is bound by the terms of its own build-operate-transfer contract with the THSRC, which states that it is the government's responsibility to provide such TRA facilities as the THSRC may request.
Huang De-zh (
The PFP legislative caucus hosted the public hearing, which was attended by representatives from the ministry -- including its bureau of high-speed rail and the TRA -- and representatives of the workers.
The workers' representatives asked the government to ask the THSRC to pay a total of NT$3.6 billion for the TRA's loss, and NT$23 billion as rent for using the facilities.
Chang Chia-juch (
Chang emphasized that both the TRA and the high-speed railway project is administered by the ministry, and the two should not be in conflict with each other.
The meeting concluded with the workers' representatives agreeing with Chang that a new contract should be negotiated and that the TRA need not comply with the THSRC's requests until the TRA and THSRC have agreed on a sum for compensation.
The TRA has about 17,000 employees and loses some NT$65 billion annually.
"We need a clear transport policy that separates the high speed railway from the TRA, otherwise, the TRA will just be out of the market," said PFP legislator Thomas Lee (
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS