There was confusion yesterday at the opening of the long-awaited elevated railway connecting Sijhih (
The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) held an inauguration ceremony at the new Sijhih Train Station to celebrate the completion of the project with both Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chih (
However, the first train into the new Sijhih station was 25 minutes late and passengers who wished to keep tickets as souvenirs were disappointed to find that the ticketing system inside the station was not in place.
In addition twelve trains had to be canceled because of delays related to the new tracks.
TRA officials explained that they had been cautious in their preparations for the opening of the line and that the train delay occurred because the it was intentionally driven slower than usual to avoid any potential problems with the new tracks, they said.
To accommodate the new railway, Sijhih's refurbished station is at an elevated level -- the first of its kind in Taiwan.
Five kilometers in length, the elevated railway was completed in four years and cost NT$3 billion (US$90.9 million). It was supposed to be in operation by last Chinese New Year but the TRA repeatedly deferred the date for the official opening as construction was reportedly constantly behind schedule. The bureau also stressed the importance of safety saying that inspection of the routes, telecommunications and the power system were necessary before the railway could become operational.
Despite the deferment, the railway's safety has still been questioned as local media reported that the tracks have allegedly not been re-evaluated and approved by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).
MOTC administrative deputy minister Ho Nuan-hsuan (何煖軒) said in response that the railway has passed multiple safety inspections by both the TRA and the Railway Construction Bureau before the official opening yesterday.
The law requires that MOTC officials only re-evaluate the "completed constructions" before they are opened to the public. Since both the railway and the station are simply the first stage of a larger project, there was no need for the MOTC to conduct a re-evaluation, he said.
The elevated railway has made seven level-crossings in downtown Sijhih redundant. In additionally a number of major roads will no longer be divided by railway tracks thus easing traffic congestion.
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