The Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) is to seek compensation on behalf of Taichung for a malfunction that delayed the opening of the city’s new MRT system, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said yesterday, as the department confirmed that the broken part involved was manufactured in China.
On Monday, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Japanese firm responsible for manufacturing the transit system, apologized for the malfunction and said that the parts were supplied by US-based Wabtec Corp’s China factory.
Kawasaki representative Hideki Ukita told a news conference that the breakdown during a trial run on Nov. 21 was caused by the improper assembly of anchors for the couplings that connect the carriages.
Photo: CNA
The improper assembly prevented the gear shafts guided by the couplings from functioning in a stable manner, putting undue pressure on them and causing them to break during the trial run, Ukita said.
Technicians found that two of the gear shafts had broken, while 30 other gear shaft and coupling assemblies were not damaged, he added.
Wabtec would replace the couplings made by the Chinese factory with couplings manufactured by its factory in France, he said.
However, he added that he does not believe the origin of the couplings had anything to do with the malfunction.
The new couplings are scheduled to be shipped by Jan. 20, he said, adding that Kawasaki expects to replace the couplings by Feb. 2 and complete required fatigue tests by Feb. 9.
DORTS Commissioner Chang Tzer-hsiung (張澤雄) said that trial runs could restart after Feb. 2, although the timeline for the start of commercial operations would be decided by the Taichung City Government and Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp (臺中捷運公司).
The Taichung City Council yesterday convened an impromptu meeting to discuss the malfunction, with Chang apologizing to Taichung residents on behalf of his agency and promising to bear responsibility for the incident alongside the manufacturer.
There was no issue with the design of the couplings, he said, adding that the problem was caused by improper assembly.
DORTS has asked the manufacturer to provide certification for the new part and define standard assembly procedure, Chang said.
With Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp incurring losses from the delays, the department would represent the city and company in seeking compensation, Chang added.
Taichung City Councilor Hsieh Ming-yuan (謝明源) accused the department of treating the city like a lab rat.
The coupling system failed after just six days, he said, adding that the contractor should be held legally responsible for failing to fulfill its supervisory duties.
Other councilors asked whether the contract signed with Kawasaki provides for compensation claims or prevents future litigation, while another called for further punitive action.
Chang said the department has handled the matter professionally and responsibly.
The Taipei MRT in 20 years has not experienced anything like this, nor has the manufacturer, he said.
Nevertheless, the manufacturer was negligent and should bear responsibility, he added.
The Taipei and Taichung city governments and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in 2008 signed an agreement that designated them as executor of the project, which then found a contractor, Chang said.
All compensation received would be given to the Taichung City Government, he added.
Lu confirmed that DORTS is acting as a proxy and would transfer all compensatory funds into the city’s coffers.
The city government is forming a review committee that would have a conclusion in two to three weeks, she said.
“Taichung is in charge here,” she added.
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