The high-speed rail system will increase the number of scheduled runs and purchase new trains next year to cope with increasing passenger volume, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) executive director Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) said on Thursday.
THSRC would increase the number of scheduled trains after Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 26, as the system’s passenger capacity after the holiday was expected to exceed 50 percent, Ou said.
The exact number of additional runs would be announced at a later date, he said.
At present, the system carries an average of 90,000 passengers per day, with a train capacity between 45 percent and 47 percent.
The system has a total of 30 trains that operate a maximum of 176 two-way runs per day, Ou said, adding that the ceiling was very likely to be reached at the end of next year.
Passenger volume was expected to have reached between 140,000 and 150,000 per day by that time, with a possible maximum volume of 176,000, and was likely to hit 200,000 during peak hours in 2010, he said.
To cope with the continuous increase in passenger volume, THSRC would buy between six and 12 new trains from Japan next year.
THSRC would also consider the possibility of working with Taiwanese companies on the interior design of the trains if sufficiently skilled local designers could be found, Ou said, adding that the new trains would start operating in 2011.
The new trains would be part of a long-term THSRC purchase project that was being carried out in several phases with the aim of increasing the number of trains to 54 by 2033, Ou said.
The system would also focus on attracting passengers by providing better quality service rather than by offering more discounts, as some tickets were already discounted to the tune of 35 percent, Ou said.
Further price cuts would undermine THSRC’s financial management as well as endanger the bus transport industry, the THSRC executive said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.