The Taiwan Railways Administration’s nationwide railway system is to be entirely electrified when the South Link Line’s electrification project is completed by the end of next year, the Railway Bureau said on Tuesday.
The South Link Line, which connects Pingtung and Taitung counties, is the only railway route that has yet to be completely electrified.
The route originally ran from Pingtung’s Fangliao Township (枋寮) to Taitung Railway Station. Most of the stations are in remote and less-populated areas, which has made construction a challenging task.
The electrification of the route would begin in Pingtung’s Chaozhou Township (潮州) — the terminal station of the railway line in the west coast — and end in Taitung’s Jhihben Township (知本).
The line between Taitung Railway Station and Jhihben has already been electrified.
The bureau aims to have the line between Chaozhou and Fangliao electrified by the end of this year to save commuters the trouble of having to change trains, bureau Deputy Director-General Wu Sheng-yuan (伍勝園) said.
The number of trains operating between Chaozhou and Taitung would have to be reduced due to construction, he said, adding that the bureau has collaborated with the Directorate-General of Highways to increase the number of highway buses in the area.
From Sept. 2 to Dec. 30, trains operating from 5pm to 9pm from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday between Chaozhou and Taitung would be canceled, Wu said.
During those times, people would have to use one of three different bus services: Kaohsiung to Taitung, Chaozhou to Taitung or Chaozhou to Fangliao.
The bus fares for those routes would be about 80 percent of the commuter train ticket price, the bureau said.
The bureau has also raised the foundations in four sections along the line, Wu said.
Linbian Railway Station has also been elevated, as it is located in a flood-prone area, he said.
The section between Nanzhou (南州) and Linbian railway stations would be upgraded from a single-track railway to a dual-track railway, and the electrification of the section between Fangliao and Jhihben would be completed by the end of next year, he said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and