All 18 Puyuma Express trains have been extensively tested in the wake of the derailment of Puyuma Express No. 6432 on Oct. 21 and no defect has been found that would affect safety, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said yesterday.
Every train underwent testing for faults in their running gear, transmissions, pantograph apparatus, power systems, protection systems, connectors, high-voltage insulators, extinguishers and auxiliary parts to ensure their structural and operational integrity, the TRA said, without providing further details.
The findings are to be presented to the task force established by the Executive Yuan to investigate the derailment in Yilan, which killed 18 people and injured 210, the TRA said.
Questions have been raised about the safety of Puyuma Express trains, the fastest model operated by the TRA, especially as there had been numerous reports about mechanical glitches prior to the derailment.
The investigation into the derailment is ongoing and it is yet to be determined why the speed control mechanism, also called the automatic train protection system, on No. 6432 was deactivated and why the control center did not know about the situation.
As Puyuma trains frequently encounter mechanical problems, the TRA should consider suspending the service until the cause of the derailment is determined, Consumers’ Foundation chairman Yu Kai-hsiung (游開雄) said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said the government would ensure that the TRA undergoes drastic reform to restore public confidence in it.
On Saturday, more than 200 TRA trains blew their horns for six seconds at 4:50pm, the time of the derailment, as a mark of respect for those killed.
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