THSRC to require ticket change for passengers boarding early

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) said Thursday it will require passengers who board earlier trains than booked to change their tickets, starting Monday.

The company said the new rule applies to all travelers with reserved seats who wish to depart more than an hour before their scheduled train.

During the initial rollout, THSRC will open designated service windows for passengers to change their tickets to earlier trains. Those using digital tickets can cancel and repurchase an earlier itinerary on their mobile devices, it said. Passengers who need to travel early due to emergencies should notify station staff for assistance.

THSRC said the policy aims to resolve a long-standing issue of wasted reserved seats, which occurs when passengers take earlier trains without updating their tickets. Those seats remain marked as occupied in the system and cannot be sold to others.

Around 2,000 seats go unused daily, amounting to more than 60,000 each month, THSRC said.

Until now, passengers with reserved seats were allowed to board earlier trains by entering through manned gates and sitting in empty seats or the non-reserved cars, without formally changing tickets.

THSRC said passengers can enter platforms up to an hour before departure, giving them enough time to change tickets before boarding.