Taiwan High Speed Rail

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Taiwan High Speed Rail
Headquarters Taipei City
Network 345 km
Service Type Inter-City
Foundation 1998 — present
Track gauge Standard gauge (1435 mm)
Official website http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/
A THSR 700-T train.
Enlarge
A THSR 700-T train.
THSR route.
Enlarge
THSR route.
THSR trains on a test run in June 2006.
Enlarge
THSR trains on a test run in June 2006.

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 345 kilometers from Taipei City to Kaohsiung City. Adopting Japan's Shinkansen technology for the core system, the Taiwan High Speed Rail initially uses the Taiwan High Speed 700T train, manufacutured 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]. When completed, trains will travel from Taipei City to Kaohsiung City in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to the current 4-6 hours by conventional rail [3].

The opening of the line has been repeatedly delayed, and is now expected to open in mid-December 2006 at the earliest[4].

Contents

[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 and approved by the Executive Yuan in 1992, as well as the Legislative Yuan the following year. 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.

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. The trial run will start in the end of November 2006 between Banciao and Zuoying, the opening ceremony will be held on December 7, 2006 at Taichung station and the railway is scheduled to open in middle of December 2006.

Some of the same Japanese companies have 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 a European supplier (Westinghouse Rail Systems)

[edit] Controversy

The project is funded by private means but the development corporation THSRC has 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 by THSRC oppositions, and the one year long delay. [5].

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 to promote the balanced development of western Taiwan.

[edit] Operations

According to the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, there will be different routing between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Like Japan's Shinkansen, some trains will stop at no intermediate stations whereas other trains will stop at every station. There will be three services of trains, one local train from Taipei to Taichung stopping at every station, and another local from Taipei to Kaohsiung, and an express from Taipei to Kaohsiung. The THSR will connect to the new subway being built in Kaohsiung.

[edit] Route

The Taiwan HSR line runs approximately 345 km from Taipei to Kaohsiung (Tsoying), passing 14 major cities and counties, and 77 townships and regions.

[edit] Stations

Thirteen Taiwan High Speed Rail Stations stations are planned in the western corridor. In the early phase, eight stations are located in Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying. Five stations (Nangang, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin and Kaohsiung) will be built in a later phase.

Station distance(km) stopping pattern connection location
Nangang 0.0 Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line
Taipei Rapid Transit SystemBannan Line		 Taipei Nangang district
Taipei 9.7 ● ● ● Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line Taipei Main Station
Taipei Rapid Transit System Danshui Line, Bannan Line, CKS 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 ｜ ● ● CKS International Airport Access MRT System Blue Line Taoyuan County Jhongli City
Hsinchu 72.1 ｜ ● ● Taiwan Railway Administration Lìujiāxiàn Line Lìujiāxiàn (tentative) Hsinchu County Jhubei City
Miaoli 104.8 ｜ ｜ ｜ Taiwan Railway Administration Taichung LIne Fongfu Miaoli County Zhúnán town
Taichung 165.7 ● ● ● Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line New Wurih
Taichung Metropolitan MRT System Green Line		 Taichung County Wurih Town
Changhua 193.8 ｜ ｜ Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line New Tianjhong Changhua County Tiánzhōng Town
Yunlin 218.4 ｜ ｜ Yunlin County Huwei Town
Chiayi 251.5 ｜ ● Chiayi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) connecting Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line Chiayi (planning) Chiayi County Taibao City
Tainan 313.8 ｜ ● Taiwan Railway Administration Shālúnxiàn Line Shālúnxiàn (tentative) Tainan County Gueiren Town
Zuoying 345.2 ● ● Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line Hshinzuoying
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid TransitRed Line THSR Zuoying (tentative)		 Kaohsiung City Zuoying District
Kaohsiung Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line Pingtung Line
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Harbor Side LRT		 Sanmi District

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kawasaki Heavy Industries (2004-01-30). New High Speed 700T for Taiwan Unveiled at Rollout Ceremony. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
  2. ^ Plan Overview. Taiwan High Speed Rail. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
  3. ^ Transportation. A Brief Introduction to Taiwan. ROC Government Information Office. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
  4. ^ OHigh speed rail opening delayed by safety concerns. Taiwan Journal. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  5. ^ Shan, Shelley. "Kuo sets deadline for inspection", The Taipei Times, May 4, 2006, pp. 2.

[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

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