The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said that it is terminating its courier service from tomorrow, and plans to remodel the carriages, previously used to transport mail, to serve the needs of disabled people and people traveling with infants.
The TRA launched the courier service in June 2004, using its express trains to deliver mail. The railway operator decided to cancel the service because there are already many courier service providers in the market.
The TRA had 32 push-pull carriages designed for use in the courier service, with one already converted to carry bicycles.
The other courier service cabins have only five rows of seats, with two seats on each side of the aisle.
According to the TRA’s plan, these carriages are to be remodeled to accommodate wheelchairs or baby carriages. The cabin would also have rooms for cyclists to store bicycles, it said, adding that each row would have three rather than four seats in the remodeled interior, with one side having only one seat.
The space would be used to park prams, which would be securely fastened while the train is moving, the TRA said.
The project is expected to take three years to complete.
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