《TAIPEI TIMES》 TRA launches new intercity express train in Taitung

By Chen Hsien-yi / Staff reporter

The Taiwan Railways Administration’s （TRA） new EMU3000 intercity express train set out on its maiden voyage from Taitung Station yesterday.

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Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌）, who attended the inauguration, said the addition of EMU3000 trains would significantly improve the quality of service and provide greater passenger capacity.

The EMU3000 is the TRA’s newest model of intercity express train. It was imported from Japan to the Port of Hualien on July 30, and after a series of tests and modifications, passed the TUV Rheinland Group’s safety verification process on Tuesday last week.

The EMU3000, made by Japanese manufacturer Hitachi, also received the Good Design Best 100 award from Japan’s Good Design Award program this year for its exterior and internal design.

Taitung is a very beautiful place, but it is not easy to travel there due to limited transportation, Su said, adding it is a long-term problem that cannot be solved in a day.

The EMU3000 is expected to significantly improve transportation services in eastern Taiwan, he said.

The TRA said that it plans to take delivery of seven EMU3000 trains with 84 cars in total by the end of next year.

Hung Tsung-kai （洪宗楷）, executive director of the Executive Yuan’s Eastern Taiwan Joint Services Center, said that the Taroko and Puyuma Express trains only have eight cars, providing 372 seats, while the new EMU3000 train has 12 cars, providing 538 seats.

This would significantly increase capacity and improve eastern Taiwan’s transportation network, Hung said.

Additional reporting by Wang Chin-yi

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES