TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Transportation evaluation committee has accepted a request from Taiwan Railway Corporation to hike train fares for the first time in 30 years, reports said Friday.
The average increase of 26.8% will be passed on to the Cabinet for a review by the end of this month, with the hike likely to take effect during the first half of the year, the Liberty Times reported. There was a two-month evaluation period between the proposal’s arrival at central government and its implementation.
Under the new price formula, a 363-kilometer trip on a Tze-Chiang Limited Express train between Taipei and Xin Zuoying in Kaohsiung would cost NT$975 (US$29.75). A local train over the same distance would cost NT$628. The basic fare of NT$1.46 per km will rise to NT$1.82 for local trains.
Over the period that there had been no fare increases, costs grew 37.96%, making it impossible for income from tickets to fund the expense of operating rail services. Short-term journeys were even cheaper by train than by mass rapid transit or bus.
