TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Having replaced faulty Chinese-made couplers, the Taichung mass rapid transit (MRT) system's Green Line is set to resume trial operations on March 25 and to commence official operations April 25.
The central city's Green Line had originally started its trial run last year on Nov. 16, but operations were halted when a train seriously malfunctioned at the Taichung High Speed Rail Station terminal on Nov. 21. After more than three months of repairs, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) on Wednesday (March 10) announced trial operations will resume March 25 and that the official opening ceremony for the Green Line will take place April 25, reported CNA.
On the sixth day of the line's trial operations, the couplers connecting two carriages suddenly broke. The cause of the incident was the improper assembly of the anchors for the couplers, which were made in a Chinese factory owned by U.S.-based Wabtec Corporation, according to the train's Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
This forced the cancelation of the official start of operations, which had been scheduled for Dec. 19. New French-made couplers were ordered and were to be shipped to Taiwan by Jan. 20.
After repairs and testing by the Taipei City Government Department of Rapid Transit Systems as well as Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a Taichung City Government committee reviewing the malfunction approved the resumption of trial operations. On Wednesday, Lu announced that the trial will run from March 25 to April 23, with the official launch date slated for two days later.
