Pingxi line closed until midnight Sunday due to track bed erosion, slope movement

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Taiwan Railway Corp. Ltd. announced Friday that train services on the Pingxi Line will be suspended until midnight Sunday due to track bed erosion and slope movement caused by recent downpours.

Constant rainfall since early this week has led to frequent rockfalls and landslides along the seven-stop Pingxi Line between Sandiaoling and Jingtong in New Taipei, the state-owned railway operator said in a press release.

The company noted that slope movement occurred between Sandiaoling and Dahua stations, while around 100 meters of track bed was washed away between Wanggu and Lingjiao stations.

Following an on-site inspection by experts on Thursday, the company decided that emergency slope reinforcement work will only begin once weather conditions stabilize.

Train services on the 12.9-kilometer Pingxi Line, known for its scenic landscape and historic stops, have been suspended since Monday after sections were reported prone to landslides due to continuous rainfall.

The latest announcement of service suspension came as Taiwan entered a three-day holiday marking Taiwan Retrocession Day on Oct. 25.

Taiwan Railway said that during the suspension period, a bus replacement service will run between all stops along the rail line, including Ruifang, Shifen, Wanggu, Lingjiao, Pingxi, and Jingtong, operating in a round-trip manner.

Bus departure times from Ruifang are 7:10 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.; from Jingtong Station, 8:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 3 p.m., 5:10 p.m., and 7 p.m.

In addition, from Oct. 27 to Nov. 30, train services on the entire Pingxi Line will be replaced with a shuttle bus on weekdays (Monday to Friday).

On weekends (Saturday and Sunday), trains will operate between Ruifang and Shifen, while buses will run between Shifen and Jingtong, Taiwan Railway said on Thursday.

The company advised passengers to check the latest train service updates on its official website, through its 24-hour customer service hotlines (02-2191-0096 or 0800-765-888), or at nearby stations before traveling.