Taiwan Railways Safety Projects Delayed by Budget Standoff, Raising Concerns Over Extreme Weather Threats

Critical safety enhancement projects for Taiwan Railways' vulnerable eastern and southern lines are facing severe delays, jeopardizing passenger safety. The "Railway Facility Safety Improvement Plan for Taiwan Railways' Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and South-Link Lines," intended to reinforce the most precarious sections, particularly between Hualien's He-Ren and Chong-De, has been stalled. The plan includes constructing three protective tunnels, relocating Chong-De Station, reinforcing slopes, and rebuilding bridges.

These essential upgrades were meant to significantly improve the safety and stability of train services for residents of Hualien and Taitung counties traveling to the north. However, the general budget allocation for these new initiatives was obstructed by legislative opposition, with the final approval only occurring in mid-August. This delay has pushed back the commencement of crucial construction work.

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Because the general budget was not approved before, we could only use TRA funds for the detailed design of the project. The actual start date has been delayed. Now that the general budget has been passed, we will ask TRA to speed up the work as soon as possible and complete it by the scheduled year of 2031.

Adding to the concern, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and TRA plan to build physical barriers and external object intrusion warning systems at 23 high-risk locations across Taiwan next year. However, they fear similar budget review delays could hinder these future projects. MOTC Vice Minister Wu Sheng-yuan confirmed that while detailed designs could proceed using TRA's own funds, actual construction was postponed. With the general budget now passed, TRA has been urged to expedite the work, with a target completion date of 2031.

Currently, TRA has installed landslide warning systems at 26 high-risk locations nationwide. However, TRA Deputy General Manager Liu Shuang-huo believes these systems are insufficient and more are needed, especially along the high-risk North-Link and eastern main lines. These additional measures, including fences and retaining walls, are estimated to cost billions of New Taiwan Dollars. Wu Sheng-yuan stressed the importance of securing public funds for these safety measures to prevent future delays.

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TRA assesses that the existing warning systems are still insufficient and more need to be added. High-risk routes such as the North-Link Line and the eastern main line will definitely be included in the scope of new warning and physical barrier construction projects, including fences and retaining walls.