Traffic partially resumes on Hualien railway

Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) Traffic was partially restored Monday on the section of the Taiwan Railways Eastern Trunk Line suspended a day earlier following mudslides caused by a heavy rainstorm, the Taiwan Railway Corp. (TR) said.

Two-way traffic is currently running on a single track in the section between Chongde and Heren stations in Hualien County, the TR said in a news release.

Also read: Heavy rains cause rail, road closures in Hualien

To ensure safety, trains passing through the section will reduce speeds to 30 kilometers per hour and the section will be closely monitored, the TR said.

After repairs, the tracks, electric lines and traffic signal equipment were confirmed to be operating normally. The partial operations subsequently resumed two hours ahead of schedule at 6 a.m. on Monday, the TR said.

The TR noted that standing tickets for northbound Tze-Chiang Limited Express trains between Hualien and Taitung counties are also open for purchase.

The TR added that passengers affected by the suspension of traffic between Chongde and Heren stations can claim a full refund for their unused ticket at any TR station within a year.