Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) yesterday doubled down on the Yilan and Pingtung counties high-speed rail extension plan amid increasing public criticism of the program’s practicality.
Chen’s defense of the proposed line came hours after former minister of transportation and communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) voiced skepticism over the ministry’s data, saying that he and Yilan-based conservationists would challenge the government’s plans at a news conference today.
Chen told ETToday on the sidelines of an unrelated event in Kaohsiung that ministry officials had not “massaged the data” as his predecessor alleged.
Photo: CNA
“I do not believe Minister Hochen would have allowed his people to massage data,” he said.
The ministry and the Railway Bureau do not release unfounded data or propose policies without an extensive consultation process conducted in conjunction with third-party experts, he said.
The ministry does not allow a small number of officials to make policy behind closed doors, and it welcomes any discussion so long as it is grounded, professional and rational, he added.
Asked about criticism that Hengchun Township (恆春) is too remote to serve as the railhead for the proposed Pingtung extension, Chen said that encouraging development has always been a goal of the high-speed rail.
Spurring growth of the transportation grid should be an objective of Taiwan’s high-speed rail system, which has been in operation for close to 20 years, he said.
A ministry principle is to establish high-speed rail lines where it is affordable and technologically feasible to bring economic development across the nation, he said.
The high-speed rail’s Qingpu Station (青埔) in Taoyuan is proof that new infrastructure can bring prosperity to regions and communities once considered remote, Chen said.
Kaohsiung’s Zuoying (左營) has also became a bustling area thanks to its station, he said.
Separately, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THRSC) officials told the event that the rail system served 82.07 million people last year, up 4.9 percent from 78.25 million in 2024.
That was the system’s highest annual ridership since it launched, they said.
The increased ridership stemmed largely from business travelers and tourists, with ticket sales boosted by music concerts and festivals in the fourth quarter, the officials said.
Ridership reached new highs last month, with more than 7 million passengers served, they said.
The high-speed rail’s capacity is also expanding, with rolling stock set to increase to 46 locomotives after the delivery of 12 N700ST series trains later this year, up from 34, they said.
THSRC plans to train the new drivers with a modified simulator, which the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology would deliver in August, they said.
A second maintenance and repair facility, with a NT$5.1 billion (US$1.63 billion) price tag, is expected to be completed next year, they said.
Additional reporting by Wu Liang-yi
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