Taiwan High Speed Rail
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| Taiwan High Speed Rail | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Headquarters | Taipei City |
| Network | 335.50 kilometers (Expression error: Unexpected round operator [[]]) |
| Service Type | Inter-City |
| Foundation | 1998 — present |
| Track gauge | Standard gauge (1435 mm) |
| Official website | http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/ |
The Taiwan High Speed Rail (Traditional Chinese: 台灣高速鐵路, also known as the THSR) is Taiwan's high-speed rail network, running approximately 335.50 kilometers (208 mi) 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 USD $15 billion, [2] and is the one of the largest privately funded transport schemes to date. Express trains capable of travelling at up to 300km/h[3] travel from Taipei City to Kaohsiung City in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to the current 4-6 hours by conventional rail [4], although regular trains take a scheduled two hours when making all stops.
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[edit] History
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" (Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System, ja:ユレダス) 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 is 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.
[edit] Controversy
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.
[edit] Operations
Like Japan's Shinkansen, some express trains might in the future run the entire route with only a single intermediate stop at Taichung, whereas other trains will stop at every station en route, as they do now. Currently, tickets have all the information printed on them that is needed to ride the trains, but they do not have an imprinted logo or the words "Taiwan High Speed Rail" printed on them in Chinese or English. However, this will be corrected by the HSR marketing department as soon as possible, with new HSR tickets sporting the company's logo. 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.[8]
[edit] Stations
Thirteen Taiwan High Speed Rail Stations stations are 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. For some odd reason, the two stations in Tainan and Chiayi were built using the same architectural design and look 99 percent the same inside and out, giving rail passengers a strange sense of déjà vu when they disembark at both stations.
- Nangang (planned): underground, located in Nangang
- Taipei: underground, located in downtown Taipei City, shares the station with Taiwan Railway Administration
- Banciao: underground, located in Banciao, shares the station with Taiwan Railway Administration
- Taoyuan: 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: 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.
| Station | distance(km) | stopping pattern | connection | location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nangang (future) | 0.0 | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line Taipei Rapid Transit System - Bannan Line |
Taipei City | Nangang district | |||
| Taipei | 9.7 | ● | ● | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line (Taipei Main Station) Taipei Rapid Transit System - Danshui Line, Bannan Line, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System |
Zhongzheng District | |
| Banciao | 17.5 | ● | ● | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration Taipei Rapid Transit System - Banciao Line, Circular Line |
Taipei County | Banciao City |
| Taoyuan | 42.2 | ｜ | ● | ● | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System Taoyuan MRT System - Blue Line |
Taoyuan County | Jhongli City |
| Hsinchu | 72.1 | ｜ | ● | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration - Lìujiā Line (tentative) | Hsinchu County | Jhubei City |
| Miaoli (future) | 104.8 | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | Taiwan Railway Administration - Taichung Line (Fongfu) | Miaoli County | Howlong Town |
| Taichung | 165.7 | ● | ● | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line (New Wurih Station) Taichung Metropolitan MRT System - Green Line |
Taichung County | Wurih Town |
| Changhua (future) | 193.8 | ｜ | ｜ | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line (New Tianjhong Station) | Changhua County | Tiánjhong Town | |
| Yunlin (future) | 218.4 | ｜ | ｜ | Yunlin County | Huwei Town | ||
| Chiayi | 251.5 | ｜ | ● | Chiayi Bus Rapid Transit (planning) | Chiayi County | Taibao City | |
| Tainan | 313.8 | ｜ | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration - Shālún Line (tentative) | Tainan County | Gueiren Town | |
| Zuoying | 345.2 | ● | ● | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line (New Zuoying Station) Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit - Red Line (tentative) |
Kaohsiung City | Zuoying District | |
| Kaohsiung (future) | Taiwan Railway Administration - Western Line, Pingtung Line Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit - Red Line, Green Line (Light Rail) |
Sanmin District | |||||
[edit] Gallery
[edit] Trains
 Interior of an Economy class car. |
 Interior of a Business class car. |
 Train pulling into THSR Taichung Station. |
 Handicapped seating. |
[edit] Stations
 THSR Hsinchu Station. |
 THSR Taichung Station at night. |
 Northbound platform at THSR Taichung Station. |
 Southbound platform at THSR Taichung Station. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Kawasaki Heavy Industries (2004-01-30). New High Speed 700T for Taiwan Unveiled at Rollout Ceremony. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
- ^ Plan Overview. Taiwan High Speed Rail. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
- ^ [http://www.tunnels.mottmac.com/projects/?mode=region&id=3377 Taiwan High Speed Rail Link - Mott MacDonald Project Page}
- ^ Transportation. A Brief Introduction to Taiwan. ROC Government Information Office. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
- ^ Taiwan's high-speed rail system to start trial services next week. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ Taiwan 'Shinkansen' debuts. Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ Shan, Shelley. "Kuo sets deadline for inspection", The Taipei Times, May 4, 2006, pp. 2.
- ^ Business Class. Taiwan High Speed Rail. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
[edit] Further reading
Hood, Christopher P. (2006). Shinkansen – From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-32052-6.
[edit] External links
- Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation Official Website
- Photographs of the THSR
- Taiwan High Speed Rail Gallery
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| Rail transport in Taiwan | |
| Inter-city： | Taiwan Railway Administration | Taiwan High Speed Rail |
| Rapid transit： | Taipei Rapid Transit System | Taoyuan Rapid Transit System | Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit |
| Airport rail link： | Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System | TRTS Muzha Line（TRTS Neihu Line）| KMRT Red Line |
| Industrial & Tourist： | Alishan Forest Railway | Taiwan Sugar Railways | Taiping Mountain Forest Railway |
| Planned： | Keelung Light Rail | Hsinchu Mass Rapid Transit System | Taichung Mass Rapid Transit | Tainan Mass Rapid Transit |
