Taiwan Railway to add 116 train services for New Year's Day holiday

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Sunday it will provide 116 additional train journeys to meet the expected spike in demand during the New Year's Day holiday from Dec. 29, 2023 to Jan. 2, 2024, with ticket bookings for the holiday to start Dec. 1.

TRA said in a press release that the extra train services during the holiday include 23 EMU3000 and Puyuma Tzu-Chiang limited express train journeys and 12 EMU 900 local express train services along the east and west coasts.

Moreover, four extra Tze-Chiang express trains will be added to ensure residents of Hualien and Taitung can travel easily to and from their hometowns during the holiday, the TRA said.

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People whose national ID number starts with the letter U or V -- residents of the area -- and their spouses and first-degree relatives will be given priority when purchasing Tze-Chiang train tickets, the agency said, adding that reservations for those tickets begins Dec. 2.

Detailed information about the additional train services is available on the TRA website, according to the release.

Meanwhile, ticket sales for train carriages accommodating families with children are to be temporarily suspended from Dec. 29, 2023 to Jan. 2, 2024, the TRA said.

With the additional trains, the TRA estimates daily transportation capacity will increase by 6 percent during the five-day holiday compared with regular days, according to the release.

The highest daily number of passengers during the holiday is expected to exceed 80,000, it added.