Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) said that train conductors who stop improperly would need to retake an aptitude test, after numerous incidents this year have stoked public discontent.
TRC has this year recorded eight incidents of trains stopping improperly by entering a station at high speed and overshooting the boarding position, prompting the company to hold a review meeting a few days ago.
At the meeting, TRC president Feng Hui-sheng (馮輝昇) said conductors are taught a “two-stage” braking method when entering a station.
Photo: Taipei Times
The first stage is prior to entering the station, during which the conductor should reduce the train to a reasonable, controlled speed, usually below 60kph, he said.
The second stage is after the train enters the station and the conductor carefully decelerates, reducing the probability of the train stopping outside of its designated position, he added.
The company said it had previously asked conductors to use this method.
Those who fail to stop appropriately would be retested, and those who fail would be reassigned to other positions responsible for maintenance work, the company said.
The test would be administered by the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s Civil Aviation Medical Center.
The test would judge whether a conductor is suitable to continue operating a train, including testing their reaction time, attention span, movement perception and anticipation, among other operational training, the company said.
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