Travelers booking with the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) will soon be able to reserve, purchase and pick up tickets at convenience stores nationwide, and even receive refunds for unused tickets.
Taiwan Railway Administration Director-General Frank Fan (范植谷) said his agency had finalized the bidding process with 7-Eleven, Family Mart, OK Mart and Hi-Life — the nation’s four main convenience-store chains — on Wednesday.
“All four have promised to make the service available by the end of this year,” Fan said. “However, 7-Eleven and Family Mart said they could provide the service earlier, either by October or November.”
The TRA said customers would be charged an NT$8 service fee for picking up their train tickets at convenience stores.
Travelers purchasing tickets for the high-speed rail system will be charged a NT$10 pick-up fee, while refunds will come with a NT$13 processing fee.
No more than six tickets can be picked up by an individual at one time.
Fan said travelers would be able to access the TRA’s ticketing service at more than 10,000 locations nationwide, and would be able to pick up their tickets at post offices as well as the four convenience store chains and TRA stations.
Fan said the TRA had been trying to reach a deal with convenience store chains for a long time, but had been forced to cancel the bids several times after failing to reach an agreement.
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