The 'Taiwan High Speed Rail' (, also known as the 'THSR') is
Taiwan's
high-speed rail network, running approximately from
Taipei City to
Kaohsiung City, which began operations on
January 5,
2007. Adopting
Japan's
Shinkansen technology for the core system, the THSR uses the
Taiwan High Speed 700T train, manufactured by a consortium of Japanese companies, most notably
Kawasaki Heavy Industries[1]. The total cost of the project is currently estimated to be
US$15 billion,
[2] and is the one of the largest privately funded transport schemes to date. Express trains capable of travelling at up to
[3] travel from
Taipei City to
Kaohsiung City in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to 4.5 hours by conventional rail
[4], although regular scheduled THSR trains take approximately two hours when incorporating all the stops.
History
THSR trains on a test run in June 2006.
The first plans for a high speed rail line linking the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung were proposed in a Ministry of Transportation study in 1990. They were then approved by the
Executive Yuan in 1992 and the
Legislative Yuan in 1993. The decision to pursue a
Build-Operate-Transfer method was also approved. After a prolonged bidding process, the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) was formally established in May 1998.
The European
InterCityExpress (ICE) was initially selected to form the core system of THSR. In
1998, ICE saw the
Eschede train disaster in which more than one hundred people died and another hundred were severely injured. Combined with the
Chi-Chi earthquake on
21 September 1999, it was decided to adopt Japan's
Shinkansen technology instead of ICE due to Shinkansen's "UrEDAS" ('Ur'gent 'E'arthquake 'D'etection and 'A'larm 'S'ystem, )
earthquake detection system, developed in
1992.
Actual construction began in March 2000, with running tests starting in January 2005. In late October 2005, Taiwan High Speed Rail passed its targeted speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) to 315 km/h (197 mph) during testing.
Trial runs between
Banciao (Taipei) and
Zuoying (Kaohsiung), open to the public and with half-price fares, began to operate 19 times daily in each direction starting January 5, 2007
[5]. A formal opening was expected soon thereafter. The HSR platforms at
Taipei Main Station opened on
March 2, 2007
[6].
Some of the same Japanese companies won another project in December 2005 to build a high speed rail link to
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, with the exception of the signaling system which has been awarded to
Westinghouse Rail Systems.
Controversy
A THSR 700-T train.
The project is funded by private means, billed as the largest
Build-Operate-Transfer project in the world, but the development corporation THSRC consistently failed to meet its funding targets on time. The project has also been dogged by repeated controversy, including allegations of poor quality construction, claims of unresolved safety concerns (due to three derailments during the tests in early November 2006) by THSRC oppositions, and the one year long delay.
[7].
Supporters of the project believe THSR will help relieve traffic congestion along the heavily traveled western corridor, while having the advantages of greater safety, high transit volume, low land occupancy, energy economy and low pollution. It has also been argued that the THSR will help promote the balanced development of western Taiwan.
Operations
All trains stop at Taipei, Banciao and Taichung stations, but there are several stopping patterns for other stations.
[8]
★ Train numbers 1xx: Taipei to Zuoying, stops at Banciao, Taichung only
★ Train numbers 2xx: Taipei to Zuoying, stops at Banciao, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan
★ Train numbers 4xx: Taipei to Zuoying, stops at all stations
★ Train numbers 5xx: Taipei to Taichung, stops at all intermediate stations
Economy and business classes compartments are available aboard each train, with the latter offering wider seating, individual audio entertainment systems and power outlets for portable electronics in each seat, as well as a
WiFi network.
[ Business Class ]
Ridership
Original estimates foresaw an initial daily ridership of 180,000, which would grow to 400,000 by 2036.
[9] The initial ridership estimate was later reduced to 140,000 per day
[10].
However, operation of the high-speed service didn't start at full capacity: train frequency is to be ramped up from an initial 19 per direction per day to 61 per direction per day. The number of daily train pairs was increased to 25 in April and to 31 in June so far, and will increase to 37 on
July 27[11].
On
June 3, 2007, there were 5 million cumulative passengers
[12].
Although train occupation is below expectations (51.87% in April, that is c. 25,650 daily trips), the operational break-even level of NT$1 billion
[13] was reached in April
[14]:
| January 2007 | February 2007 | March 2007 | April 2007 |
|---|
| NT$598 million | NT$670 million | NT$870 million | NT$1.1 billion |
Stations
THSR route
Thirteen Taiwan High Speed Rail stations were planned in the western corridor, with eight stations already open in Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying. Five more stations (in Nangang, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin and Kaohsiung) will be built in future years.
★ '
Nangang Station' (planned): underground, located in
Nangang
★ '
Taipei Station': underground, located in downtown
Taipei City, shares the
station with
Taiwan Railway Administration
★ '
Banciao Station': underground, located in Banciao, shares the station with Taiwan Railway Administration
★ '
Taoyuan Station': underground, located in
Jhongli, near
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
★ '
Hsinchu': elevated, located in Lioujia,
Jhubei, near
Hsinchu Science Park
★ '
Miaoli' (planned): elevated
★ '
Taichung': elevated, located in
Wurih
★ '
Changhua' (planned): elevated
★ '
Yunlin' (planned): elevated
★ '
Chiayi': elevated, located in
Taibao
★ '
Tainan': elevated, located in
Gueiren
★ '
Zuoying Station': ground level, located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, joint station with Taiwan Railway Administration's new Zuoyin Station, line terminal until extension to downtown Kaohsiung Station is built.
★ '
Kaohsiung' (planned): underground, downtown Kaohsiung City, joint station with Taiwan Railway Administration's new Kaohsiung Station.
Gallery
Trains
Stations
See also
★
Rail transport in Taiwan
★
High-speed rail
References
1.
2. Plan Overview
3. [http://www.tunnels.mottmac.com/projects/?mode=region&id=3377 Taiwan High Speed Rail Link - Mott MacDonald Project Page}
4. Transportation
5. Taiwan's high-speed rail system to start trial services next week
6. Taiwan 'Shinkansen' debuts
7. Kuo sets deadline for inspection Shelley Shan
8. THSR Timetable, effective June 1, 2007
9. High-speed rail bidders confident
10. High-speed rail to give birth to new towns
11. 台灣高鐵7月27日起增班為每日單向37班並延長售票時間。
12. THSRC sees 5 millionth passenger
13. THSRC runs in red during first 2 months of operations
14. THSRC April revenue exceeds NT bil.
Further reading
Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, , Christopher P., Hood, Routledge, 2006, ISBN 0-415-32052-6
External links
★
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation Official Website
★
Photographs of the THSR
★
Taiwan High Speed Rail Gallery
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