CNA file photo

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) The management of the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi, southern Taiwan will be moved to the Forestry Bureau under the Council of Agriculture with effect from July 1, according to an announcement by the bureau.

The railway will be operated by the bureau's newly established Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office instead of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), which has been running the service since May 1, 2013.

The change is being made in an effort to better integrate the relevant resources and run a more environmentally friendly operation, the bureau said.

It said the new office plans to raise starting salaries and establish a performance bonus system to encourage its employees.

Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether service will resume on one of railway's main lines -- Chiayi to Shizilu - before the new operator takes over.

Following a series of train derailment accidents, services on the line were suspended on March 11 for maintenance, safety inspections, and improvement work.

The TRA said the operation tests on the line have going smoothly but it was awaiting permission from the transportation ministry to resume the service.

(By Huang Kuo-fang and Lee Hsin-Yin)
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