Starting on Nov. 10, high-speed rail (HSR) passengers with reserved seats would be required to exchange their tickets in order to board an earlier train.
HSR passengers with reserved seats on a specific train have previously been allowed to board earlier trains on the same day and sit in non-reserved cars.
However, as this is happening increasingly often and affecting quality of travel and ticket sales, the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) today announced that it would be canceling the policy starting on Nov. 10.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
It is one of several new measures launched by THSRC chairman Shih Che (史哲) to improve quality of service, it said.
The company also said it would start designating non-reserved seating trains during peak travel hours next year.
It originally allowed passengers with reserved seats to board earlier trains in case of a last-minute scheduling change.
However, hundreds of people are taking advantage of this policy every day, affecting ticket sales and quality of travel, the company said.
The original reserved seats are wasted and cannot be resold to passengers in need, and overall quality of travel is impacted when capacity is strained on earlier trains due to the additional passengers, it said.
Considering the quality of service and rights of all passengers, the company is canceling the policy starting on Nov. 10 and requiring passengers with reserved seats to exchange their tickets before boarding an earlier train, it said.
According to Article 17 of the THSRC Passenger Transportation Contract, tickets with reserved seats are only valid for the date, train and route specified on the ticket.
Tickets without reserved seats are valid for the date and route specified on the ticket, offering passengers flexibility to board any train that day, but without a guarantee of seating.
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