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MOTC says yes to train fare hikes

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday approved a new fare rate plan proposed by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA).

This will allow the administration to consolidate its ticketing system and raise ticket prices for commuter trains.

The fare changes only apply to commuter trains and to intercity trains operating along the west coast from Keelung to Pingtung.

Fares for services operating along the east coast, the South Link (南迴鐵路) and on any unelectrified route will remain the same.

Meanwhile, there will no longer be any difference between the Chukuang Express (莒光號) and the Fuhsing service (復興號).

Both trains will now be regarded as commuter trains and will be used to transport passengers commuting between the two regions.

While the Tzuchiang Express (自強號) remains operational, it will mainly cater to long-distance travelers.

The proposal further defines commuters as those who travel a distance of 70km or less between two places.

Ticket prices are set at NT$20 when traveling 5km or less. After the first 5km, each passenger will be charged an additional NT$5 for every 3.6km to 4km traveled. Those who travel exactly 70km will be charged a total of NT$110.

According to the administration, the average price of fares on commuter trains will now be NT$1.57 per kilometer following the price adjustment.

Passengers using the Tzuchiang Express, on the other hand, will now pay NT$45 for traveling 20km or less.

The TRA proposed adjusting ticket prices to deal with the potential impact of the high speed rail on its train system after it officially comes into operation next month.

Wang Mu-heng (王穆衡), director of the management division of the Institute of Transportation, said that a preliminary calculation showed that passengers who traveled 10km or less will pay similar fares to those who use the MRT system.

Passengers whose travel distance exceeds 10km, on the other hand, could pay a little less than those who take long-distance buses, he said.

Wang noted that the price adjustment was still subject to approval by the Executive Yuan.

The proposal is likely to affect short-distance commuters the most.

For example, commuting between Banciao (板橋) and Songshan (松山) -- a distance of 15km -- will now cost NT$36. compared with the previous price of NT$18.

Nevertheless, Chen Feng-nan (陳峰男), the TRA's deputy director, said that the adjustment will not enable the administration to generate additional revenue.

Chen said that the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) will only schedule 20 train routes at the initial stage of its operation.

In this scenario, the TRA will have to provide additional trains for long-distance travelers.

Chen said that once the TSHRC begins to increase the number of trains it operates, the administration will correspondingly reduce the number of long-distance trains it operates and increase the number of regional express trains in major metropolitan areas.
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