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
A return to power for former US president Donald Trump would pose grave risks to Taiwan’s security, autonomy and the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region. The stakes have never been higher as China aggressively escalates its pressure on Taiwan, deploying economic, military and psychological tactics aimed at subjugating the nation under Beijing’s control. The US has long acted as Taiwan’s foremost security partner, a bulwark against Chinese expansionism in the region. However, a second Trump presidency could upend decades of US commitments, introducing unpredictability that could embolden Beijing and severely compromise Taiwan’s position. While president, Trump’s foreign policy reflected a transactional
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has prioritized modernizing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to rival the US military, with many experts believing he would not act on Taiwan until the PLA is fully prepared to confront US forces. At the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi emphasized accelerating this modernization, setting 2027 — the PLA’s centennial — as the new target, replacing the previous 2035 goal. US intelligence agencies said that Xi has directed the PLA to be ready for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027, although no decision on launching an attack had been made. Whether
A chip made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) was found on a Huawei Technologies Co artificial intelligence (AI) processor, indicating a possible breach of US export restrictions that have been in place since 2019 on sensitive tech to the Chinese firm and others. The incident has triggered significant concern in the IT industry, as it appears that proxy buyers are acting on behalf of restricted Chinese companies to bypass the US rules, which are intended to protect its national security. Canada-based research firm TechInsights conducted a die analysis of the Huawei Ascend 910B AI Trainer, releasing its findings on Oct.
In honor of President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday, my longtime friend and colleague John Tkacik wrote an excellent op-ed reassessing Carter’s derecognition of Taipei. But I would like to add my own thoughts on this often-misunderstood president. During Carter’s single term as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, despite numerous foreign policy and domestic challenges, he is widely recognized for brokering the historic 1978 Camp David Accords that ended the state of war between Egypt and Israel after more than three decades of hostilities. It is considered one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of the 20th century.
RSS