THSR to add trains for Mother's Day weekend

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSR) has announced it will add 30 trains over the Mother's Day travel period from May 8 to 11, with tickets going on sale at midnight Thursday.

The additional services consist of 15 northbound and 15 southbound trains, THSR said in a statement Wednesday. Early-bird discounts will be available for all trains departing from their origin stations before 8 a.m. on May 9.

To encourage college students to return home for the holiday, THSR said eight more services will offer half-price student tickets.

Also, non-reserved seating will be expanded from the usual car numbers 10 to 12 to cars 9 to 12 on trains stopping at all stations during peak periods.

Those periods cover 3-9 p.m. on May 8 and 4-9 p.m. on May 10 in both directions, as well as southbound services on May 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and northbound services on May 10 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

During these periods, all regularly scheduled and added services between Nangang and Taichung will stop at every station, with nine cars allocated for non-reserved seating.

THSR advised passengers to check the "Ticket Availability" section to plan travel during peak periods and arrange connecting transportation in advance.

Passengers using an early-bird ticket must carry a valid ID matching the ticket. Those unable to present identification will be treated as traveling without a valid ticket and charged a 50 percent surcharge for the distance traveled.

Students using half-price tickets must present a valid student ID. If the ID does not indicate current enrollment, an additional certificate of enrollment is required.