The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) yesterday announced cuts in its rail service and changes to the rail schedule, starting tomorrow -- the largest ever such cuts in its history.
A total of 17 trains will stop running and more than 700 scheduled services will be affected, according to the administration.
According to the TRA, six scheduled trains stopped running on July 22 and as from yesterday, trains No. 1029 and No. 1043 were no longer in service.
The TRA said that it will cut seven more short-distance train services as from tomorrow. The trains involved are Nos. 71, 72, 2513, 2562, 2217, 2540 and 2131.
According to the administration, two platforms at the Taipei main railway station are going to be used by the Taiwan High Speed Rail, which will lead to a shortage of platforms.
To solve the problem, the rail administration decided to scrap part of its rail service and will also reduce trains' stopping time at the station.
The TRA said that, under the new rail schedule, trains will arrive or leave only about 10 minutes earlier or later than they currently do.
The administration called on all passengers to check the new schedule before boarding trains.
Meanwhile, the administration will conduct an internal test for staff-promotion purposes on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.
Approximately 154 trains will be out of service temporarily because of a shortage of staff while the test is in progress, according to the TRA.
For more information on the new schedule and the temporary change of schedule over the weekend, visit the TRA's Web site at www.railway.gov.tw or check the arrival and departure boards at railway stations.
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