Commercial operations on Taichung’s first MRT rail line would not begin as scheduled on Saturday, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said yesterday.
The MRT system’s Green Line began trial runs on Nov. 16, but they were suspended because of a major malfunction on one of the trains at the Taichung High Speed Rail Station terminal on Nov. 21.
After an investigation, the train’s Japanese manufacturer, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, said that a US-made coupling connecting the two-carriage train had broken, the MRT system’s operator, Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp said.
Photo: CNA
The Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems, which is responsible for developing the Taichung MRT system, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries were asked to conduct a comprehensive inspection on all 18 MRT trains to be used on the system.
After receiving a report on the inspection results and problem-solving measures on Friday and holding a meeting with experts, the Taichung City Government postponed the formal launch of the MRT line, Lu said.
Although the department and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have found the cause of the problem and submitted a repair schedule, the city government believes the reason for the breakdown has yet to be conclusively determined and the schedule is overly optimistic, Lu said.
For safety’s sake, the city government decided to postpone the launch, she added.
Lu apologized to Taichung residents for having to make the decision, saying the city government would establish an MRT malfunction review committee made up of experts to help handle the matter more objectively and efficiently.
The city government has sent back a report from the department, requesting further improvements and would seek compensation from the department, Lu said.
Meanwhile, Taichung Transportation Bureau Director-General Yeh Chao-fu (葉昭甫) said that as the broken coupling did not conform to design standards, the city government had initially asked the department and the Japanese manufacturer to carry out a comprehensive inspection of all trains on the system.
However, the report submitted on Friday failed to convince the city government of the safety of the MRT system, so a review committee of experts would be established, Yeh said.
Any new report would have to be approved by the committee, with a formal launch date yet be decided, Yeh added.
The Green Line stretches 16.71km from Beitun Main Station to Taichung High Speed Rail Station and is to serve 18 stations. A complete journey would take about 32 minutes.
Construction of the Green Line began in 2009. The project cost NT$59.3 billion (US$2.08 billion at the current exchange rate), including NT$32.8 billion provided by the central government.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS