Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) has finally announced that it is to postpone the commencement of its service by one year. This comes as no big surprise, but it does serve to show that the project is far from complete. I, for one, would prefer it if the company ensured that everything was in place before they start operating the service. After all, it is not the postponement that concerns us, it is the question of whether the system will live up to the claims the company has made regarding safety, speed and smooth operation.
The contract between the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and THSRC states that the company is allowed to operate the railway for 35 years, including the construction stage. Therefore this one-year extension will cut into THSRC's profits, shortening the period in which they can recoup their initial outlay by 12 months; it does not actually infringe upon their contractual obligations.
The high-speed rail project, which uses the build, operate and transfer (BOT) model, has already generated much debate over its costs. Nevertheless, the whole country will indisputably profit from the convenience and economic benefits that the railway will bring. Therefore, we should approach this delay rationally.
According to a survey conducted by the ministry, the biggest concerns regarding the high-speed rail are accessibility and safety. The stations in Taipei are to be accessible from the MRT system, as they will be in Taichung and Tsoying (左營) -- the terminal stop in Kaohsiung. Other stations, however, will be outside the city centers.
Naturally, ease of access will influence whether people decide to use the service, and the convenience of transferring from one mode of transport to the high-speed railway is a crucial factor. This will not only require the creation of a road network, it will also need transport companies to offer routes serving the railway's stations.
In addition, the coordination of flights and the high-speed railway should be considered. At the moment most people rely on Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport (CKS) in Taoyuan when they go abroad. If passengers from the south wish to travel to CKS on the high-speed railway, they will need to lug their luggage to the nearest station, many kilometers away from the city center, take the train to Chingpu (
One way we can prepare for the opening of the high-speed rail, then, is to adopt a passenger-oriented service mentality and develop a coordinated system.
The delay also gives the THSRC extra time to conduct tests on, and monitor, problems that arise from the operation of machinery and coordination systems, and to test and modify operational and safety procedures. Protocols for emergency response, maintenance of passenger cars and tracks, and compensation for late services are key to the sustained development of the high-speed rail.
The THSRC has to make sure everything is in place if it is to avoid a plethora of system failures and the resulting fallout -- as happened in the initial stages of France's high-speed rail. Any incidents resulting from system errors or safety lapses can only cause THSRC problems.
Finally, the company needs to avoid relying entirely on technology transfers from abroad and should use this period to consult local experts from industry, government and academia. In this way, the company will be able to stand on its own two feet and even export its knowledge of high-speed railway operations in the future.
Cheng Yung-hsiang is an assistant professor in the department of logistics management at National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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