Taiwan Railway back on track after technical delays Friday

Taipei, March 28 (CNA) Taiwan Railway Corp. resumed normal services Saturday after major delays the previous day due to a fault in the electric traction lines between Shanjia and Yingge stations in northwestern Taiwan.

Two-way railway traffic was fully restored late Friday night, and the first train on Saturday morning departed on time, the company said in a statement.

Taiwan Railway services between Shulin and Yingge stations were suspended at 9:17 a.m. Friday, after a fault was found in the electric traction lines.

After about four hours, limited services resumed, with the trains using a single track in both directions, which caused massive delays of local trains and congestion, particularly during rush hour, Taiwan Railway said.

In an effort to ease the congestion, Taiwan Railway passengers with e-tickets were allowed to board Tze-Chiang express trains on the Keelung-Hsinchu route on Friday afternoon.

In addition, Taiwan High Speed Rail dispatched two trains with non-reserved seats to run between Taichung and Zuoying during rush hour.

According to Taiwan Railway, a total of 201 services were affected by the technical fault, resulting in cumulative delays of 342 hours and 30 minutes.

Passengers who experienced travel disruptions on Friday can request a refund within one year, Taiwan Railway said, adding that the refund fees will be waived.