Two Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) trains operating on the East Coast were delayed yesterday morning after a Puyuma Express train collided with and killed several cows roaming on railway tracks.
Chang Chien-li (張建曆), transport section head at Hualien Station, said the accident happened at 8:33am on the section between Jhihsyue and Shoufong stations in Hualien.
“The train driver saw the cows and tried to stop the train, but he was not able to do so over such a short distance,” Chang said.
Chang said the train hit four cows, one of them pregnant.
Because of the impact, the calf came out and was run over by the train as well, he said.
Chang said the Puyuma Express locomotive was damaged in the incident.
Chang said that Railway Police officers later found the owner of the cattle, adding that the owner would be asked to compensate the TRA for the financial losses caused by the collision and would face criminal charges for endangering public safety.
The police said the owner uses electric fences to corral the animals, but the cattle broke through the barrier on Monday night.
Meanwhile, one southbound train and one northbound train were delayed for 56 minutes due to the collision, Chang said.
No passengers were injured, he said, adding that none of the passengers qualified for refunds because of the delays.
A male passenger spoke about the incident in a TV interview.
“We first heard a loud bang, and later the conductor announced that the train had hit cows,” the man said. “I looked out of the window and saw a cow with its organs hanging out.”
Chang said trains in the East Coast had hit cows, goats and deer on the railway tracks in the past, but he said that birds were most commonly involved in such incidents.
In other news, the TRA announced that a 10 percent discount for passengers purchasing round-trip tickets for Puyuma Express or Taroko Express journeys would be canceled, beginning on Monday next week.
The TRA said the policy was implemented to ease demand for tickets for the two new express train services, adding that more passengers would be motivated to take other Tze-chiang express trains.
Currently, tickets for the Puyuma Express and the Taroko Express are the same as for other Tze-chiang trains.
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