Taiwan Railway chair Du Wei declines to comment on resignation rumors

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) Taiwan Railway Corp. (TRC) Chairperson Du Wei (杜微) on Saturday declined to comment on reports he has tendered his resignation.

A source in the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) earlier that day told CNA that Du has suddenly handed in his notice due to "personal career plans."

The MOTC had tried to persuade Du to stay on his post but he was not to be dissuaded, the source said.

The source said that during his tenure in office, Du came close to realizing a project to raise TR ticket fares, which have been stagnant for 30 years.

Asked if he had resigned at a charity event at Taipei Main Station on Saturday, Du said it was not the right occasion to talk about such matters.

Du holds a bachelor's degree in transportation and communication management science and a master's degree in political science.

He started as an intern at the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA). He was the last TRA director before the TRA was corporatized on Jan. 1, 2024 and the first TRC chairperson.

The source said that the resignation has been reported to the Executive Yuan. Once it is approved, Deputy Transportation Minister Wu Sheng-yuan (伍勝園) will most likely be placed as the acting chairperson.