Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said yesterday that the ministry will ask the Bureau of High Speed Rail to check if there is any earthquake alarm technology for high-speed trains that will help the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) react quicker in the event of big quakes.
“The THSRC adopted its earthquake-resistance mechanism following the 921 earthquake in 1999, and incorporated some of the best technologies available back then. The train system can actually withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake,” Mao said. “I have asked the bureau to see if there are any new technologies available.”
Regarding a proposal to establish an earthquake alarm system like that used in Japan, Mao said that the ministry would listen to opinions from experts as the situations in Taiwan and Japan are different. He said that most metropolitan areas in Japan are on its east side, so it installed electric cables along the Pacific coastline with the hope of buying some time when issuing an earthquake alarm.
“The metropolitan areas in Taiwan are mostly on the west side. However, many of the faults are on land. If an earthquake happens, we hardly have any time to react in advance,” Mao said
The bureau’s director-general Ju Hsu (朱旭) said that the THSRC had considered using the same system as in Japan’s Shinkansen system, but Japanese engineers said it would not work for Taiwan.
Mao was asked to brief the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday on new measures the ministry was planning to execute this year. Both the Democratic Progressive Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), however, questioned Mao over problems facing the nation’s high-speed rail system.
Mao said that the THSRC’s earthquake resistance system had ensured the safety of passengers when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan last week.
What the company could work to improve is the time it takes to move passengers from stranded trains to safer locations, he said.
The THSRC has had to cut back its services since the quake to repair damage, offering only non-reserved seating, which has angered passengers who purchased advance tickets. It is scheduled to resume normal operations today.
Mounting public anger saw Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) visit Taipei Train Station yesterday for a briefing from THSRC chairman Ou Chin-der (歐晉德).
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
RSS