12 additional high-speed trains added to meet LNY demand

Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) Twelve more high-speed trains will be available during the 2025 Lunar New Year period to meet increased demand, with reservations to open on Jan. 11, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) announced on Thursday.

This means a total of 380 extra trains (205 southbound and 175 northbound) will operate in addition to the scheduled services between Jan. 23 and Feb. 3, bringing the total number of trains over the period to 2,258, the bullet train operator said in a statement.

The company urged passengers planning to travel north to book their tickets as early as possible, given that services between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 have mostly sold out.

Furthermore, to accommodate the surging demand during the holiday period, 18 northbound trains have adjusted schedules. Sixteen will arrive after midnight, while two will depart earlier than originally scheduled, the statement said.

Meanwhile, 47 shuttle trains -- 10 southbound and 37 northbound -- will operate in northern and central Taiwan between Nangang and Taichung. Each train will have eight carriages with non-reserved seating to help manage the increased travel demand on this route, the statement added.

THSRC said it will provide real-time traffic updates through its online booking systems, such as T-EX App, Facebook Messenger, and convenience store ticketing machines, among other platforms.

As Feb. 8 is a make-up workday, two additional northbound trains (1504 and 1202) will be added, with ticket bookings available from Jan. 10, the company said.