Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) yesterday ordered the replacement of 37 sets of potentially dangerous electric cable connectors along the soon-to-be-launched Airport Rail, adding that the goal of launching the line by the end of this year remains unchanged.
Chen gave the order after being questioned by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Duan Yi-kang (段宜康) during a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee about the safety of the Airport Rail connecting Taipei Railway Station and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Duan said that four cable connectors at station A3 caught fire during a test last month.
Although the problem was immediately addressed on the day of testing, Duan said that similar connectors are used in 37 locations along the Airport Rail, characterizing the connectors as “bombs that could explode at any time.”
In the event of a power outage in the line’s Cingshan (青山) section, Duan said that passengers would be forced to evacuate train cars at an overpass section, which was built 45m above the ground. He said that passengers would have to walk 8km on the overpass before reaching the next stop — whichwould be very dangerous.
Duan also said the electric cable connectors were installed externally, because infrastructure was already overcrowded with pipes, meaning that the cables could be easily damaged through constant exposure the elements. The ministry would be ignoring passenger safety if it cannot guarantee the safe operation of the rail system, Duan said.
In response, Chen said that all of the cable connectors in question would be replaced by new ones before the launch of the Airport Rail, which would not change the date for the start of operations.
“The infrastructure will be completed on time before it is turned over to the Taoyuan Metro Corp,” Chen said.
Bureau of High Speed Rail Director-General Allen Hu (胡湘麟) said the Airport Rail’s design was the same as that employed to build the Taipei and Kaohsiung MRT systems.
Commenting on why the cable connectors might have caught fire during testing, Hu said workers might have inadvertently stepped on the cables, causing the metallic cable racks underneath to break the insulation and cause a short circuit.
Hu said integrated testing was originally scheduled to conclude by April 1, adding that the bureau would try to get back on schedule within the next few months.
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