The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) said yesterday that it has been forced to stop trial operations of its newly purchased EMU700-model commuter trains three times because of a series of problems found during the testing process.
The nation's largest railway company purchased a total of 160 EMU700-model train cars from local contractor Taiwan Rolling Stock Co (TRSC, 台灣車輛公司).
The company formed a technical partnership with the Japanese manufacturer Nippon Sharyo, the original designer of EMU series.
Twelve of the TRA-ordered trains were made by Nippon Sharyo Co, and the other 148 cars were manufactured by Taiwan Rolling Stock.
The first set of EMU700 commuter trains, consisting of four cars, began operations at the end of August and were used mainly to carry commuters between Hsinchu and Hualien.
The TRA issued a statement yesterday saying that problems emerged when the administration began testing the second set of EMU700 train carriages. The on-board broadcasting system, for example, was supposed to be automatically activated whenever the train entered a station. Likewise, the LED panels in each car should also correctly inform passengers about the train's next stop and provide other passenger information.
According to the statement, none of these systems functioned properly when tested.
Meanwhile, TRA inspectors have identified other issues, such as problems with the train's passenger seats, car doors and air-conditioning system.
The statement said the administration originally estimated that the second set of EMU carriages would begin operations last month. So far, the testing has not been completed.
The administration said that it was concerned that the delay is going to affect the service it provides. It also said there are no replacements for the first set of EMU trains if a problem develops. Without them, the administration cannot retire all the old trains that are still in use between Hsinchu and Hualien, it said.
TRA spokesperson Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said yesterday that they will do everything they can to stick to the terms stated in the contract.
Chang said that the contract dictated that the administration is entitled to seek compensation from TRSC if the testing takes longer than 30 days.
He also said that TRSC will be asked to pay about NT$258,000 each day after the expiration date.
"The accumulated penalty has so far reached NT$17 million," he added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS