Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday said starting this summer it would allow passengers to store cash in a card to pay for train fares, similar to the EasyCard used on Taipei’s MRT.
Company spokesperson Ted Chia (賈先德) yesterday revealed the plan, which has yet to be finalized, at a press conference for a program that allows customers to purchase high speed rail tickets at more than 2,400 Family Mart convenience stores.
Unlike tickets purchased at convenience stores — which are limited to tickets with seat numbers — the first batch of high speed rail cards could be used to purchase tickets with free seating.
The first batch of high speed rail cards would allow passengers to pay upfront, perhaps at a discount, for a certain number of tickets within a certain distance. For example, a customer could pay a one-time payment for eight tickets that allow for travel between Taipei and Zuoying Station.
Because rail tickets are comparatively expensive, the high speed rail card might be issued with the passenger’s name on the card.
The cards would not entail any additional processing fee, though a fee could be charged for replacing lost or stolen cards, Chia said.
As the high speed rail cards would target passengers buying free seating tickets, the company would also consider adjusting the amount of free seating once the cards are available.
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