Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) yesterday sought to allay public concerns about the city’s metro transit system after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit Yilan County on Monday, the latest in a series of strong earthquakes to rock northern Taiwan.
The earthquake, epicentered about 19km southwest of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 46.5km, was felt in most parts of the nation.
Taipei recorded a seismic intensity of 3, but there were no reports of damage.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The earthquake came two weeks after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Hualien on Feb. 6, leaving 17 people dead and hundreds injured.
In a bid to alleviate concerns about passenger safety in the event of an earthquake, TRTC released a statement saying the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system was well-prepared with standard operating procedures (SOP) for responding to earthquakes.
Ten seismometers have been set up at various MRT stations, including Tamsui, Beitou and Jiantan, as well as the Taipei City Traffic Information Center, to monitor earthquake activity and trigger immediate response measures according to SOPs, it said.
MRT trains will continue to operate normally in case of a seismic intensity level 1 earthquake, but they will temporarily stop during a seismic intensity level 2 or 3 earthquake and then operate at a reduced speed while the TRTC looks for any system abnormalities, it said.
Normal operations will resume only if no abnormalities are detected, it added.
During an earthquake with an intensity level 4 or above, trains will stop during the quake and then run at a reduced speed to the nearest station for all passengers to disembark, it said.
Services are suspended temporarily and normal operations resume after examinations of the tracks, the stations and equipment are completed, and no abnormalities are detected, it said.
The Department of Rapid Transit Systems must be informed after an earthquake with an intensity level of 5 and above, and a structural safety inspection is to be conducted after services end that day, it said.
TRTC urged passengers to stay calm during an earthquake, follow station staff members’ instructions, and not panic or push other people.
Additional reporting by CNA
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