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.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
President William Lai (賴清德) is expected to announce a new advanced “all-domain” air defense system to better defend against China when he gives his keynote national day speech today, four sources familiar with the matter said. Taiwan is ramping up defense spending and modernizing its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding its own advanced new weapons such as stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles. Lai is expected to announce the air defense system dubbed “Taiwan Dome” in his speech this morning, one of the sources said. The system
RSS