The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) announced yesterday that the South Link Line (南迴鐵路) is scheduled to reopen by Tuesday.
The TRA had to shut down the route after it was severely damaged last month by the flooding brought by Typhoon Morakot.
The South Link Line refers to the section of the railway between Taitung and Fangliao (枋寮) in Pingtung County.
The TRA also said that passengers traveling on the South Link Line next week will be able to board the trains for free from Tuesday to Thursday. They can get the free tickets at the counters in train stations. Online reservations are not accepted.
The section between Fangliao and Nanjhou (南州), the section that connects the South Link and the railways along the West Coast, remained closed after the Linbian River Bridge (林邊溪橋) was washed out. It will not be accessible until Dec. 13. Those who need to travel from Kaohsiung to Taitung can take the bus from Nanjhou to Fangliao and take the South Link train in Fangliao.
TRA deputy director-general Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said yesterday that the administration was aiming for a mid-October reopening of the South Link Line, but it was able to complete its task a month ahead of schedule with the help of top-notch engineers, who worked round the clock on the damaged sections.
The engineers will also complete tests on the repaired railway tracks by Tuesday.
Hwang Shyh-shyan (黃士弦), the director of the TRA's Central Train Control Center, said 24 express and regular trains will be deployed each day to operate the line.
For safety reasons, however, trains will slow to 40kph when passing the section between Taimali (太麻里) and Jinlun (金崙), he said.
Express trains traveling between Taitung and Fangliao will take about 1.5 hours, while regular train services will take about two hours, he said.
In related news, the Directorate General of Highways is scheduled to open access today to Provincial Highway 18 and part of Highway 24, as well as Chiayi County Highway 129.
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