To encourage more people to tour the country by train, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said yesterday it would offer a special summer deal that includes discounts of more than 50 percent and free travel.
With the special deal, passengers boarding trains that are marked in orange on the service schedule will only have to pay NT$724 to travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung and NT$342 from Taipei to Taichung.
Currently, an economy-class ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung is priced at NT$1,490, while a ticket from Taipei to Taichung is NT$700.
For travel groups of four, one passenger gets a free ride.
The company said that the special offers are only valid for over-the-counter sales. Buyers must first download the coupon from the THSRC Web site and present it to customer service personnel.
Individuals can buy no more than 10 tickets at a time.
The deal does not extend to those who order tickets online, nor does it apply to those who purchase tickets using consumer vouchers. The special offers will make travel via the high speed rail cheaper than long-distance train services offered by Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA).
Asked about the competition, TRA director-general Frank Fan (范植谷) said it had no intention of engaging in a price war.
Earlier this month, TRA just offered an express train service from Taipei to Kaohsiung for NT$599.
“We will watch ticket sales and see if we should extend the offer for another month or so,” Fan said.
RSS