The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said it would offer full compensation to the driver of a car hit by one of its southbound Tzuchiang Express trains last week, after determining that the incident was caused by an equipment malfunction at a railway crossing in Taichung.
On Friday last week, the train, traveling from Keelung to Pingtung County’s Chaojhou Township (潮州), hit a parked car near a crossing between Singwurih (新烏日) and Chenggong (成功) railway stations, causing a temporary suspension of two-way operations, the agency said.
Initially, the car’s owner, who was injured in the incident, appeared to be at fault, but after reviewing surveillance video and inspecting the crossing, the TRA said it found that an equipment malfunction was a factor.
The agency said defective insulation between cables controlling the boom barriers and those controlling the alarms caused the malfunction.
“We deeply apologize for what happened and would pay for all the medical costs as well as financial losses. We have also turned the video clips recorded by dashboard cameras on the train, as well as those captured by the surveillance cameras, at the crossing to the Railway Police Bureau and would comply with all investigations related to this accident,” it said.
Additionally, express train passengers who were delayed more than 45 minutes because of the incident are eligible for a full refund, provided that they collect it within one year, the TRA said.
Those boarding non-express trains that were delayed for 45 minutes are eligible to take another non-express train service free of charge, it added.
Passengers who boarded trains with EasyCards or other electronic ticketing cards would not be charged for the trip if they arrived at their destination more than 45 minutes later than the estimated arrival time, while monthly rail pass users could get a one-day extension, the agency said.
The TRA has also replaced defective cables at the railway crossing and is checking if similar problems exist at 420 other crossings, it said.
The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board said it would not launch an investigation into the incident as fewer than five people were injured.
Instead, the Railway Bureau should look into the matter, it said.
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