The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday gave a conditional pass to the environmental impact review for an electrification project for the railway line between Hualien and Taitung.
As the 155.5km railway line has yet to be electrified, express trains from Taipei to Taitung must change locomotives for diesel-powered trains in Hualien.
The environmental impact review committee required that the Railway Reconstruction Bureau ensure proper handling and relocation of earth removed as a result of the project. The committee also required the developer to ascertain the safe distance between tunnels and river beds.
The project was one of the alternatives proposed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) if the construction of the Suhua Freeway was halted.
Huang Joung-chieh (黃中杰), a project director at the Railway Reconstruction Bureau , said that the project did not face serious opposition from the committee.
However, Huang denied that the project had any connection to the construction of the Suhua Freeway.
"The project has been under review since 2004," he said. "The freeway and the railway are two separate matters."
Huang said the project would cost about NT$14 billion (US$424 million). Construction is expected to take seven years to complete.
Based on the bureau's study, the electrification project will boost the operating speed of the trains on the Hualien and Taitung line from 110kph to 130kph and reduce travel time to about one-and-a-half hours.
The Hualien-Taitung railway electrification project was also discussed at the legislature's Transportation Committee yesterday morning.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Justin Huang (
Huang said yesterday that the construction should start soon as the project had passed its environmental impact review.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS