A site 350m south of the Yilan County Hall has been assessed and found to be the optimal location for a proposed high-speed rail (HSR) station, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.
“We’ve received positive feedback from everyone on this proposal, including from Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌),” Wang said.
Work on the project is expected to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2036, he added.
Photo: Lin Ching-lun, Taipei Times
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications proposed the site as a fifth option during an information session on Nov. 17, saying that the rail line would bypass downtown Yilan.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) said at the time that the majority of Yilan residents wanted the high-speed rail station to be in downtown Yilan, but did not want the project to interfere with construction of the Yilan Railway Overpass at Yilan Station.
The ministry said the contractor would build the new high-speed rail station to have a platform for the Taiwan Railways Administration’s elevated rail, which would run between Yilan Station and Luodong Station in the south.
Another announcement on the project would be made before the end of the month, it said.
A draft plan would be reviewed by the ministry before next month, which, if approved, would go through an environmental impact assessment, Wang said.
The proposed site had the approval of Chen, Su, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tzu-miao (林姿妙), Yilan County Council Speaker Chang Chien-jung (張建榮), Yilan City Mayor Chiang Tsung-yuan (江聰淵) and other county officials, he said.
However, the ministry was still in talks with Jiaosi Township (礁溪) officials, he added.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old