Things went as smoothly as possible on the second day of high speed rail operations with crowds of passengers gathering at train stations to enjoy a weekend railway trip.
The only black marks were a six-minute delay on an early train from Taichung to Banciao (板橋) in Taipei County and a 68-year-old man who hurt his head when he slipped and missed his train.
The train departing from Taichung at 7am yesterday arrived at Banciao at 8:01am, instead of the scheduled 7:55am, making it the first-ever delay experienced by the new rail system.
The Chinese-language United Evening News quoted Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) executive director Ou Chin-der (
The report said this sent a signal to the train to start slowing down and eventually stop at a section near Taoyuan.
Ou apologized for the delay and said the company would review the incident to avoid any repetition.
To solve overbooking problems, THSRC yesterday provided an additional seven trains to carry surplus passengers, as well as offering each passenger a free ticket as a goodwill gesture.
Meanwhile, Chen Hsin-hsiung (
Chen claimed he missed his step because the escalator was travelling too fast but local cable TV channels quoted THSRC spokesman Arthur Chiang (
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