Business

Domestic Transport Routes Hit By COVID-19

Taiwan’s iconic high speed rail (HSR) service which connects Taipei in the north, with Kaohsiung in the south will cut its current levels of service from April 18th through June 21st, for reasons directly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main HSR stations in Taipei, Taoyuan and Taichung already have temperature screening measures in place to help prevent passengers with possible symptoms from traveling, with another 12 stations to be equipped with the same facilities by the end of next month.

The cuts in services were, however, unexpected.

According to reports overnight in Taiwan, the schedule cuts will primarily affect off-peak Friday to Sunday HSR services, and are directly attributable to a dip in ticket sales whilst people opt to refrain from unnecessary travel.

41 trains a week will be directly affected from a total of over 1,000 high speed trains that normally travel along Taiwan’s west coast. It is understood that at least three services per hour will still run.

Services over the April 2nd to 5th holiday weekend in Taiwan will be unaffected according to current reports.

Additionally, the full service is scheduled to resume operations in the week ahead of the late June Dragon Boat Festival, another time of the year many Taiwanese choose to travel domestically.

Buses Don’t Escape

In related news, a bus service linking Tainan with Kaohsiung International Airport will also be cut.

Known as the Tainan Express, the service only came into being in mid-January and typically takes just over an hour to reach Kaohsiung’s airport from Tainan at a cost of NT $150 one-way.

This cancellation comes about as a result of around 85% of all flights in and out of Kaohsiung cancelled as a result of the virus. No details are yet available on resumption of this service.

Any passengers with pre-booked tickets will be given full refunds. Details can be obtained by calling 0800-889-116.

 

 

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.

Recent Posts

Israeli Naval Forces seize Charity Yacht attempting to break Gaza blockade

Israeli naval forces intercepted and seized the British-flagged charity yacht Madleen early Monday morning as…

2 days ago

Musk-Trump feud goes public as words exchanged over social media

A bitter and highly public feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump…

5 days ago

Lee Jae-myung, newly elected President of South Korea, vows to unite his divided nation

Lee Jae-myung has been elected president of South Korea, emerging victorious after his opponent conceded…

7 days ago

Elon Musk blasts Trump-backed Domestic Policy Bill as “Disgusting Abomination”

Elon Musk launched a blistering online attack on Tuesday against a sweeping Republican domestic policy…

7 days ago

Egyptian national charged in Boulder terror attack targeting pro-Israel rally

Authorities have charged a 45-year-old Egyptian national in connection with a violent terror attack that…

1 week ago

Ukraine launches massive drone strikes on Russian airbases, war escalates

Ukraine on Sunday launched a sweeping series of drone strikes targeting air bases across Russia:…

1 week ago