CNY train services remain unaffected: TRA

The collision between the No. 278 Taroko Express and a truck occurred at 8:42 a.m. in northern Taiwan's Taoyuan County, after the truck failed to stop at a level crossing and stalled on the tracks.

As of 3 p.m., the accident has caused delays affecting 68 services and an estimated 24,000 passengers, railway officials said.

However, as normal services are likely to be resumed by Wednesday, the TRA said, traffic capacity during the Lunar New Year holiday will largely remain the same.

“We will keep all original schedules to accommodate the large crowds returning home,” said TRA Deputy Director General Jang Ying-huei.

However, the locomotive was completely destroyed in Tuesday's accident, so the Taroko Express will not be providing any service in the near future, Jang said.

A total of 30 services, originally to be provided by the Taroko Express during the holiday period, will be operated by slower replacement trains instead, he said.

As a result, travel time is likely to be increased by 10-20 minutes, but the overall number and frequency of services will remain the same, according to Jang. The accident has caused the TRA an estimated NT$200 million (US$6.69 million) in losses.

The Taroko Express is the TRA's fastest train model, capable of traveling around 130 kilometers per hour.

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