TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Starting Monday (Nov. 8), non-reserved seats are available on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) trains, and train frequency is back to its usual 1,016 trains a week.

Following the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) decision to allow eating and drinking on long-distance public transportation starting Tuesday (Nov. 2), THSR lifted more restrictions on Monday to bring its service back to normal.

According to the company, passengers holding periodic tickets, multi-ride tickets, Easy Cards, and iPasses may use their tickets to head directly to railway platforms and sit in non-reserved seats. In order to avoid overcrowding, THSR may adjust the number of non-reserved railcars during rush hour, offer additional trains depending on demand, or allow passengers to stand in entrances of reserved-seat railcars

Passengers should still wear a mask upon entering stations and during train rides and may only temporarily remove it while eating or drinking.

Since Taiwan's COVID-19 in late May, THSR had decreased the frequency of its trains to as low as 556 a week and canceled non-reserved seating options, CNA reported. The company began increasing the frequency only after the outbreak was curbed.