The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday said it is studying the feasibility of upgrading certain single-track railway sections to dual tracks, after the electrification of all Taiwan’s major railways has been completed.
The South Link Line became fully electrified yesterday after seven years of construction.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) marked the occasion with a ride on a Puyuma Express train from Taichung Railway Station to Taimali Station (太麻里) in Taitung County, accompanied by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).
Photo provided by trainspotter Lao Hou via CNA
Travelers would no longer need to change from electric express trains to diesel-powered trains when transferring to the South Link Line, Tsai said at a ceremony in Taitung.
The electrification of the line has made it possible to travel around the nation by train in about nine hours, Lin wrote on Facebook.
The ministry said it aims to shorten the travel time to six hours by extending the high-speed rail routes to Yilan and Pingtung counties and safely increasing the speed of trains along the east coast.
Certain railway sections only comprise a single track, the ministry said, adding that it is studying the feasibility of adding second tracks.
Nearly 70 percent of the railway line between Taitung’s Jhihben (知本) and Hualien stations is a single track, the ministry said, adding that multiple sections along the west coast and the South Link Line are also single tracks.
On these sections, there is little flexibility for adjustments to railway timetables, as trains regularly have to wait at passing loops for trains traveling in the opposite direction, the ministry said, adding train delays would worsen if there is a railway accident.
Malfunctions would at times also cause train delays, the ministry added.
The ministry seeks to upgrade single-track sections between Hualien and Jhiben totaling 112km, it said.
The Environmental Protection Administration has approved the ministry’s plan, it said, adding that the Executive Yuan is conducting a final review of the potential upgrade.
The ministry said that it is awaiting government approval before planning further details, but aims to finish the upgrade by 2027.
Moreover, there are five single-track sections on the Coastal Line, and a majority of the South Link Line are single tracks, the transport ministry said.
For these sections, it aims to complete feasibility studies by March and April in 2022, respectively, the ministry said.
Challenges to upgrades to the South Link Line would be greater, as the local geography allows little room for railway expansion, the ministry said, adding that it is considering several options, including building new railway routes.
Additional reporting by CNA
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS