Starting on Monday next week, passengers with reserved seats for the Taiwan High Speed Rail who want to board a train departing one hour earlier than the one they bought a ticket for must change their ticket, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said yesterday.
THSRC allowed passengers who bought reserved seats to get on earlier trains if there is an unexpected change in the passenger’s schedule, but they have to take seats in non-reserved cabins instead.
However, an increasing number of passengers have exploited the measure, particularly those traveling on weekends or during holidays, resulting in wasted seats in reserved seating cabins.
Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times
On average, there are more than 60,000 unoccupied seats in reserved seating cabins each month, despite booking records showing that the seats had been reserved, THSRC data showed.
The company said the service quality of the non-reserved cabins has deteriorated due to the growing number of standing passengers.
To reduce seating waste, passengers would be required to change their tickets to match their actual departure before they are allowed to board earlier trains, THSRC said, adding that this would facilitate the release of available seats to those who might need them.
High speed rail stations would have a designated window for passengers who want to change their tickets, it said.
Electronic ticket holders can also change their tickets using their mobile phones, it added.
Meanwhile, passengers can contact station staff for assistance if they need to change their tickets due to medical needs or family emergencies, the company said.
The automatic ticket gates permit reserved-seat passengers to enter the station up to one hour before their scheduled departure time, so those who need to change their tickets should have enough time to complete the process, it said.
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