TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taiwan High Speed Rail northern extension between Taipei and Yilan has received a cautious welcome at an environmental impact assessment review, reports said Wednesday.
The 350-kilometer line between Taipei and Kaohsiung was launched in 2007, but the government has since approved plans for extensions to Pingtung in the south and Yilan in the northeast. Review committee members meeting Wednesday asked for clarification about conflicting travel times for the new Yilan extension, per CNA.
They pointed out the Taiwan Railway Corporation, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation website, and the official report submitted to the committee, all mentioned different travel times. The Ministry of Transportation also rejected accusations that it had failed to involve the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation in its discussions.
Wednesday’s six-hour committee meeting closed with recommendations to provide accurate travel times, improve the handling of waste water, and strengthen tunnels against strong winds and earthquakes. The project also requires further communication with residents, while the track’s protection against landslides needs to be upgraded, the committee concluded.
The ministry said it had held seven meetings with the company since December to talk about the engineering and operational aspects of the new track. According to ministry plans, the extension from Nangang Station in Taipei to Yilan will be 60.6 km long, with a new station to be built south of Yilan City and a depot further south.
