Cabinet approves plan to strengthen railway bridges against quakes, floods

Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) The Executive Yuan on Thursday approved a five-year plan to strengthen eight railway bridges against earthquakes and floods.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) presented the project at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Work will be carried out from 2025 to 2029 and the total budget will be NT$5.669 billion (US$172.94 million).

The MOTC said that climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather disasters including torrential rain, flooding and landslides. Typhoons and earthquakes have also caused severe damage and affected railway safety.

Moreover, some bridges do not comply with the regulations specified in flood control plans and should be improved as soon as possible.

The ministry said the planning work associated with the project is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

After the meeting, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) quoted Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) as saying that Taiwan Railway (TR) Co. must strengthen bridges against earthquakes and floods to ensure safe and stable service for travelers.

Cho added that safety is the top priority and urged the MOTC to coordinate with river and slope management agencies and local governments to ensure operations meet safety standards and that construction projects are completed on schedule and to quality specifications.

Cho also instructed TR to address damage from Typhoon Gaemi, which struck Taiwan in late July 2024, and to review and adjust flood prevention measures for the Dahukou River Bridge in Yunlin County and the Lanyang River Bridge in Yilan County.

He added that another 171 bridges need to be strengthened to comply with latest relevant standards.