Taiwan High Speed Rail Seeks Fare Hike, Minister Sets Conditions

Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is seeking to adjust its ticket prices, a move that has been frozen for two decades. The company's chairman, Shih Che, formally requested a review of fares during a ceremony for the arrival of the first of 12 new N700ST generation trains from Japan. Shih Che emphasized the need for sustainable operations and finances, suggesting that a price adjustment is necessary.

However, Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai laid out three conditions that must be met before any fare increase can be considered. These include prioritizing safety with enhanced training and maintenance for the new trains, upgrading capacity with the new fleet expected to increase peak-hour service by about 25%, and improving overall services, encompassing stations, ticketing, and customer support.

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Taiwan High Speed Rail wants to review ticket prices after the new trains go online on July 1 next year.

THSR is reportedly planning to submit a new fare proposal by July of next year, with a potential implementation date after September 2028. This timing aligns with the full deployment of the 12 new trains. The company is exploring a variety of pricing models beyond the current early bird and non-early bird options. These could include more diverse early bird discounts, travel packages, and differentiated pricing for various groups. Additionally, fare variations based on train type (new vs. old), service frequency (express vs. local), and journey length are also under consideration.

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Safety first, capacity upgrade, and service upgrade.