The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is training a group of maintenance specialists to help the drivers of tilting trains resolve mechanical problems during operations.
The first 30 specialists are to report for duty before the Lunar New Year holiday, the agency said, adding that it would provide 513 additional train services during the nine-day holiday.
The Taroko Express and Puyuma Express services use tilting trains.
The railway agency has been implementing a dual-driver policy for tilting trains since the derailment of Puyuma Express No. 6432 in Yilan County in October last year, which killed 18 people and injured 215.
The policy requires that a Taroko or Puyuma Express driver operate with an apprentice driver or an assistant, but it has strained the agency’s human resources.
The specialists, who come from the agency’s maintenance department, would replace some of the apprentice drivers and assistants, the TRA said.
The specialists would point out important indicators to the driver and call out the status of the train’s operations, it said.
They would watch for changes in the signaling system and help resolve abnormalities detected during operations, which would help the drivers concentrate on driving, the TRA said.
The policy was supported by some senior train drivers, who said that having maintenance specialists on board is a good thing, as they know how to fix mechanical problems and keep the train safe.
However, the Taiwan Railway Union said that the policy would lead to shortages in maintenance personnel.
Only three types of electronic multiple unit trains and four types of diesel-powered Tzuchiang Express trains have maintenance specialists on board, the agency said, adding that the drivers of these older trains need the specialists to help resolve mechanical problems they might encounter during operations.
The agency said that it originally did not assign train maintenance specialists to the Taroko and Puyuma Express trains, as they are equipped with the train control and management system, which allows drivers to resolve mechanical problems.
Although TRA policy requires that two drivers be on board for the automatic train protection (ATP) system to be turned off, the derailment exposed that the agency had failed to enforce the policy before the derailment, it said.
The dual-driver policy is a temporary measure, the agency said, adding that it might end the policy after the installation of ATP systems equipped with enhanced functions.
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