Wenhu Line trains to reduce speeds in bad weather: TRTC

Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Trains on the Taipei Metro's elevated Wenhu Line will now run at reduced speeds in the event of sudden downpours, lightning strikes or other bad weather conditions to prevent stoppages, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) said Friday.

To keep the driverless trains running, the system's safety mechanism has been adjusted to automatically reduce their current speeds by 75 percent when bad weather events occur, TRTC said in a statement.

Taipei Metro personnel will also be dispatched to board the trains for monitoring purposes, the company said.

The announcement was made after a Wenhu Line train stopped on a track for about 10 minutes during rush hour on May 7, causing service disruptions to other trains on the line.

The company later explained that the train had lost traction as it rained that day, triggering a safety mechanism that stopped the driverless function and could only be overridden manually.

The incident resulted in a public backlash, prompting TRTC to convene a meeting of experts on May 21 to conduct a comprehensive review of the Wenhu Line system, which was originally built in such a way that it would cease operations in typhoon conditions.

As extreme climate conditions become more prevalent, TRTC on Friday said there was a need to make the Wenhu Line more weather resistant.

The line's Neihu section is designed with steel tracks, making it more prone to becoming slippery during heavy rain. Thus, in addition to applying anti-slip coating for better traction, trains will also reduce speeds to improve safety and reduce delays, the company said.

A similar incident again happened Thursday, when a Wenhu Line train suddenly stopped on the tracks amid a thunderstorm. Its operation was only restored after a driver boarded the train to override the system.