Partial train service resumes on typhoon-hit North Link Line

Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) Partial operations on the North Link Line resumed a day ahead of schedule on Friday, following track damage caused by mudslides from Typhoon Gaemi that had blocked rail traffic between northern and eastern Taiwan since July 25.

The track that is closer to the eastern coastline was repaired and opened for service on Friday, but the track that is more inland remained closed, Taiwan Railway Corp. said in a statement.

That means that there will now be one track on the line, which connects Hualien County to Taipei and passes through scenic and mountainous areas along Taiwan's eastern coast, accommodating two-way travel, the statement said.

Each train is expected to experience an average delay of 20 to 30 minutes due to two-way traffic controls and lower travel speeds, it said, but it warned that complete service is unlikely to resume until the end of 2024, when the more inland track is fully repaired.

The company will also partially adjust its train schedule starting on Aug. 30 in response to service disruptions, railway officials said.

Typhoon Gaemi caused severe damage last week, including landslides that buried tracks between Chongde and Heren stations in Hualien County.

It also washed away the Xiaoqingshui Bridge at K53+800 mark of the line's inland track and left massive amounts of debris on the coastal track, the state-owned company said.

Transportation Minister Li Men-yen (李孟諺) has wondered whether the North Link Line should be elevated or rerouted due to significant damage from the previous magnitude 7.2 earthquake on April 3 and subsequent heavy rains particularly between Chongde and Heren stations.

Taiwan Railway said a safety assessment, including the feasibility of rerouting, has been initiated, with a preliminary report expected by the end of the year.