Taiwan Railways disciplines staff, upgrades trains after major power failure causes 20,000 minutes of delays

A power failure on Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) tracks between Shulin and Yingge on March 27 caused significant disruptions, with 201 train services delayed and a total of 20,550 minutes of accumulated delays. The incident, which lasted until the following morning, sparked public anger.

TRA identified the cause as a design flaw in the first-generation pantograph of the EMU900 train. The carbon brush on the pantograph detached and bent, damaging the overhead power line and causing a complete shutdown of the line between Shulin and Yingge. The incident occurred shortly after the train departed from Shulin Yard.

In response, TRA has disciplined five employees, including the head of the Taipei maintenance section, who received a demerit and was reassigned. The company is also upgrading all EMU900 trains to the latest integrated pantograph design by the end of April. Additionally, TRA has established a more detailed emergency response mechanism for pantograph malfunctions and is conducting training to improve operational coordination and information dissemination during major incidents.