The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) is planning to outsource operation of the Old Mountain Line Railway (舊山線) to the private sector.
A meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow to explain the bidding rules to interested contractors. The nation’s largest railway service decided in 1998 to move the route between Sanyi (三義) in Miaoli County and Houli (后里) in Taichung County on the Mountain Line to new locations.
The 15.9km old route from Sanyi and Houli is now known as the Old Mountain Line.
The Old Mountain Line, however, has several scenic spots, including railway stations in Sanyi, Shengsing (勝興) and Taian (泰安) as well as railway tunnels that were built during the Japanese colonial era.
The broken bridge in Longteng (龍騰), Miaoli, spanning the Lungtung River is also a popular tourist attraction. The bridge was damaged in 1935 during an earthquake. Visitors can see still see the piers of the broken bridge when they travel to the site.
Noting the Old Mountain Line’s rich tourism resources, the TRA appropriated about NT$200 million (US$6 million) to repair the railway tracks.
The TRA is also scheduled to finish repairing the railway tracks in the section between Sanyi and Taian by the end of the year, and is planning to allow the private contractor to operate this section.
The section between Taian and Houli will be the TRA’s next project after it acquires land near the Houli Station. According to the TRA’s plan, the operator who wins the contract would be given exclusive rights to operate the Old Mountain Line for 12 years.
During the first year, the contractor must invest no less than NT$173 million in the operation. Annually, the contractor must give about NT$24 million to the TRA in maintenance charges for the railway tracks.
The contractor will be allowed to import its own facilities and hire its own staff for the operation. However, the contractor must pay the TRA an additional charge if it decides to entrust the TRA with operating the Old Mountain Line.
If it assumes operations, the TRA is willing to provide two locomotives and six train cars. The estimated cost of providing 24 two-way train services on the Old Mountain Line daily for a year tops NT$47 million.
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