《TAIPEI TIMES》Rail delays continue after signal glitch

FIXED TODAY? The TRA said it hopes to repair a signal malfunction by today so train services between Changhua County’s Huatan and Yuanlin stations can resume

By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

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A crossing gate malfunction that prevented street traffic from passing a railroad in Changhua County on Friday night was caused by a defect in a signaling system, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai （王國材） said yesterday.

The malfunction occurred between Huatan and Yuanlin stations, and also affected access to local restaurants, the Taiwan Railways Administration （TRA） said.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said it hoped the issue would be fixed by yesterday night.

TRA Director-General Du Wei （杜微） and Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Hu Hsiang-lin （胡湘麟） yesterday visited Yuanlin Station to inspect the repair efforts.

The TRA had asked equipment manufacturer Siemens Taiwan and independent experts to visit the site to assist the efforts, Hu told a news conference at the site.

Hu said that the malfunction occurred when the signals sent by an axle counter could not be received by the system, citing a briefing he received during a visit to an engineering room near Yuanlin Station.

The counter had been replaced, but the issue occurred again soon after, he said.

The TRA earlier suspected that a signal defect on Jhongjheng W Road caused the gate to malfunction, but later ruled that out.

Instead, power surges that occur in the system when a train passes the axle counter might be to blame, the agency said.

The TRA was inspecting the system’s circuits and hoped to resolve the issue before service resumes today, Hu said.

However, a specific time cannot be guaranteed, he added.

The malfunction occurred as an increased number of passengers were expected to travel during the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, Du said.

The TRA is monitoring train traffic on the affected section, and if the number of travelers rises to a certain threshold, additional bus services would be offered to divert passenger flow, Du said.

People affected by the malfunction and subsequent safety measures can apply for refunds under the TRA’s standard refund mechanism, Du said.

As of noon yesterday, more than 53 trains and 9,574 passengers had been delayed by more than 47 hours, the TRA said.

Hu urged the agency to step up repair efforts and apologized to passengers on trains delayed due to the malfunction.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES