Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail (West Coast)

  • Ten stations, from Taipei to Kaohsiung
  • Total length: 345 km
  • Train type: Shinkansen 700T
  • Normal Operating Speed: 300km/hr
  • Scheduled project completion time: October 2005
  • From Taipei to Kaohsiung: 80 minutes
  • From Taipei to Taichung: 40 minutes





I’m personally looking forward to it :smiley:

There’s too many stations. Isn’t there a station in Banqiao as well as one in Taipei? Couldn’t someone take the MRT or regular train (or walk, even) from Banqiao to Taipei? What are all the other stations, in addition to the standard Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, Jiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung? And will there be a “high-speed” version of the high-speed train that goes non-stop to Kaohsiung or only stops in Taichung?

Thing is, with all of those stations, will it even be able to reach a decent speed? If so, I imagine there’s going to be a lot of accelerating and braking going on.

It’s also kind of a shame that those shiny new cars will just be sitting around collecting dust in the years that remain until we actually have a high-speed rail up and running.

Actually, the shiny new cars won’t be gathering dust. They are going to begin testing, first in Japan, and then as of mid-2005, in Taiwan. It’s pretty much par for the course for this sort of thing. As for the decent speed–300km is pretty decent, yes? That’s the max. operating speed when it is running (ie: not just its capability, but how fast it will actually travel). I don’t think you will notice all the accelerating and braking, either–those tend to be gradual on bullet trains.

Cheer up, man, this train is going to rock! And doesn’t it look good enough to lick? :slight_smile:

From what i read, there will be 5 different kind of ticket plans. One is a non-stop service from Taipei to Kaohsiung. There will be 4 other different ticket plans with different station stoppages.

The proposed operating speed (300 kph ) is actually faster than Japan’s Shinkansen ( at 285 kph ), due to Taiwan Gaotie’s newer track construction techniques. The news also said that the train will run smooth enough that you can stack 8 pieces of chinese chess pieces on top of each other without them falling off.

The non-stop train will take 80 minutes from Taipei to Kaohsiung, while the longest will take around 130 minutes.

The first train will be delivered sometime in May. I do forsee the inevitable downfall for intra island airlines who operate the western Taiwan routes. It is just less of a hassle to travel by high-speed rail.

Wish the US could have some kind of a highspeed rail system, to offer alternatives to the crappy and frustrating domestic US air travel.
I would gladly use highspeed rail instead of waiting for hours in O’Hare or Atlanta.

[quote=“scooter”]

Cheer up, man, this train is going to rock! And doesn’t it look good enough to lick? :slight_smile:[/quote]

It really does look good. I like this improved version of the 700. The front of the Japanese 700 looks like a duck.

[quote=“YJaeger”]The proposed operating speed (300 kph ) is actually faster than Japan’s Shinkansen ( at 285 kph ), due to Taiwan Gaotie’s newer track construction techniques. The news also said that the train will run smooth enough that you can stack 8 pieces of Chinese chess pieces on top of each other without them falling off.

The non-stop train will take 80 minutes from Taipei to Kaohsiung (Gaoxiong), while the longest will take around 130 minutes.[/quote]

Well what are you going to do with the other 79 minutes on the train? I’m assuming that it takes a whole minute to stack em up.

We should have a poll question:
How will you spend the other 79.5 minutes on the HST service to Kaohsiung?
a. stacking the other 24 chess pieces.
b. …

suggestions here, please!

I wonder how long it would take to stack 8 western chess pieces…

Kenneth

[quote=“YJaeger”]Wish the US could have some kind of a highspeed rail system, to offer alternatives to the crappy and frustrating domestic US air travel.
I would gladly use highspeed rail instead of waiting for hours in O’Hare or Atlanta.[/quote]

You might be interested to read the January (I think it’s January?) edition of Taiwan GQ. Interesting article about travel in 2020–it says that high speed train travel would be cheaper, more economic and actually faster than air travel in the US for certain routes–they even have a nice little map of the US with high speed train routes linking:

  1. SF, LA, San Diego, Las Vegas
  2. Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis
  3. Boston, NY, Washington DC, Raleigh NC

On Maglev trains they estimate about 1-1.5 hour travel time between most cities, with shorter times for the E. coast routes. Wouldn’t that be nice? And you wouldn’t have to arrive 2 hours prior to departure!

Maybe you can spend the other 79.5 minutes thinking of a way to shutup that loudmouth cell phone user in the seat next to you, infront of you, behind you. :smiling_imp:

Air travel is now such a pain especially after 9/11. A flight from Tampa to Atlanta is about an hour and half. If you count the hours spent at the airport, it could take up to 4 hours just to get there. A bullet train travelling at 180 Miles per hour will only take 3 and half hours to cover the 650 miles from Tampa to Atlanta, with much less hassle and frustration and aching eardrums.

I predict it will be 2010 before this opens, if at all. Will we ever get a train service to the airport ?

Haven’t checked with the progress lately, but does anyone know how the lines will go through Taipei? Earlier I knew there were dispute with TRA (Taiwan Railroad Administration) when they tried to borrow 4 tracks from the main station underground, basicly they couldn’t expand and add tracks underground, which would endanger foundation of the station.

The problems with the govt is, they never planned ahead, during the early 80s when they started burying the railroads underground, they never planned for future expansions nor other uses.

In terms of train stations, I think they are Nangang -Taipei -Banqiao-Taoyuan (Qingpu) -Xinzhu (Liujia) -Miaoli-Taizhong (Wuri) -Zhanghua-Yunlin (Huwui) -Jiayi (Taibao) -Tainan (Shalun) - Gaoxiong (Zuoying, later to downtown Gaoxiong)

hsr.gov.tw/homepage.nsf/1traver?OpenPage

Nangang is still under consideration I think, to alleviate congestions at Taipei station for passengers transfering from east coast line. Funny thing is, they originally planned only 3 stations Taipei-Taizhong-Gaoxiong, then every county fought to have a station, this is how it ends up. The fastest train is Taipei-Taizhong-Gaoxoing for 90 min (the last time I read).

The train’s going down the west coast, not the east.
Anyway’s, you guys should quit moaning about it until you’ve tried recent rail travel in Britain. My brother in law recently traveled from Glasgow to London.
Not by train. The quickest and cheapest option was to fly from Edinburgh to Holland and back to London.
Compared to that, I’d say Taiwan’s rail network is pretty damn good.

When the Chunnel opened British Rail made a lot of fuss about how it was quicker to take a train to Paris from central London than it was to fly. Part of the argument was that you didn’t have to waste all that time driving to the airport either.

That was before the high speed services were held up by snow or leaves on the line.

Personally I think the rail system here is pretty good, but would anyone care to speculate as to what kind of ‘delays with chinese characteristics’ this new venture will experience?

And do you really think terrorism will make people prefer the train? A stolen truck full of cement can do an awful lot of damage if left in the wrong place.

Well if the taiwanese are that bad… take a look at the Irish rail project and costs etc portrayed in an email sent around

Earth to Mars

  • Distance: Approx. 77 Million kms
  • NASA Spirit Cost: Approx. 321 Million
  • Launched: 10-06-2003
  • Landed: Jan 2004
  • Status: Working

Luas:

  • Length of first two lines: Approx. 25kms
  • Luas cost so far: Approx. 675 million
  • Construction of Line A, commenced in September 1999.
  • Status: Not working

Just to give some idea of scale, if there were to be an Irish mission
launched in the morning, at this rate it would take 13 million years to
get
to Mars, without actually working, in spite of costing EUR208 trillion.

Idiots. But sure, aren’t we gas when we’ve drink taken.

Yea it’s west coast, my mistake.

From what I’ve read, there will be direct routes from Taipei to Kaohsiung or Taichung. And the ticket cost will be around 70% of a plane ticket. They seem to be rather bullish on the end of next year date as the completion time, and so far the construction are on track for opening at that time. It depends on how well it goes from here I guess.

Also, the news reports say that the first train will arrive in Taiwan in May, and they will start the test run in Tainan-Kaohsiung in September this year.

[quote=“vincewy”]Haven’t checked with the progress lately, but does anyone know how the lines will go through Taipei? Earlier I knew there were dispute with TRA (Taiwan Railroad Administration) when they tried to borrow 4 tracks from the main station underground, basicly they couldn’t expand and add tracks underground, which would endanger foundation of the station.
[/quote]

Not sure about that yet. They are planning on renovating at least the exterior of Taipei Main Station though.

The Taipei - CKS Airport MRT is still in the planning stage…that route should be in operation by 2010.

What is up with all this negativity? Taiwan is currently trying to improve its infrastructure, why moan about this project before it is complete?

Of course, the current Taiwanese infrastructure is third-worldiish for a country with a developed economy, but its improving year after year. I’ m sure its only getting better, not worse, unless the Mainland decides to send a few missiles over the strait.

Looking forward to get from Taipei to Gaoxiong in less than 2 hours on that gorgeous lookin train.

Amen, the high-speed train will cut travel time between Jhongli and Taipei Main Station down to 19 minutes!

Here’s some info I found on the Airport Express.

Construction
Begin: 2004/10
Finish: 2008/6
Revenue Service: 2009/1

Route length: 51.5km
CKS Terminal II - TMS 36.3km
CKS Terminal II - Jhongli, Jhongfong Rd. (behind SOGO) 15.2km

Travel Times
CKS Terminal I - TMS
Express: 35min (non-stop)
Regular: 49min (all stations)

CKS Terminal I - Jhongli, Jhongfong Rd.
Regular: 19min

Stations
US = underground station
V = viaduct station

  • = MRT or THSR transfer stations

(1) Taipei Main Station V*
(2) Sanchong V*
(3) Wugu Industrial Park V*
(4) Taishan V
(5) Danfong V
(6) Gueishan Sports Park US
(7) Chang Gung Hospital V
(8) Linkou V
(9) Shanchao V
(10) Guolin V
(11) CKS Airport Terminal I US
(12) CKS Airport Terminal II US
(13) CKS Airport Terminal III US
(14) Dayuan Interchange V
(15) Dayuan V
(16) Chinpu Depot V
(17) THSR, Taoyuan County Station *
(18) Jhongli Sports Park V
(19) Jhongli Shinnan Rd. V
(20) Jhongli Jhongfong Rd. (Jhongli SOGO) V

I don’t see how they’ll save on security for trains – one large suitcase-bomb detonated in a forward car, say above the front wheels, and I’d guess that that car and every one behind it will be flipping ass-over-teakettle across the landscape.

Well if the Taiwanese are that bad… take a look at the Irish rail project and costs etc portrayed in an email sent around

Earth to Mars

  • Distance: Approx. 77 Million kms
  • NASA Spirit Cost: Approx. 321 Million
  • Launched: 10-06-2003
  • Landed: Jan 2004
  • Status: Working

Luas:

  • Length of first two lines: Approx. 25kms
  • Luas cost so far: Approx. 675 million
  • Construction of Line A, commenced in September 1999.
  • Status: Not working

Just to give some idea of scale, if there were to be an Irish mission
launched in the morning, at this rate it would take 13 million years to
get
to Mars, without actually working, in spite of costing EUR208 trillion.

Idiots. But sure, aren’t we gas when we’ve drink taken.[/quote]

Hilarious ! (The M50… the bypass at Blanchardstown… the train to Galway… ) Ireland: it’ll be a great place when it’s finished !

Don’t be too negative before it actually happens.

Came back to Taiwan after 7 months and I was surprised about the progress they made with the construction of tracks, bridges and tunnels. Going from the CKS airport to downtown, there are suddenly clear signs that this is really in the works…

Compare that to western countries where it takes much longer to put up such a thing.

I guess it will be interesting to see how they will operate that system. I’ve heard that there never was such a big project to be operated through the Built-Operate-Transfer System.

However, it remains to be seen if the transfer (that is, back to the govenrment I guess) makes sense. I’ve read in Hong Kong that they are planning to sell off the airport and have it privatized.

Although I would have favored the French-German consortium I have to admit that the Japanes design the most beautiful trains. :

[quote=“Pfeffersack”]Don’t be too negative before it actually happens.

Came back to Taiwan after 7 months and I was surprised about the progress they made with the construction of tracks, bridges and tunnels. Going from the CKS airport to downtown, there are suddenly clear signs that this is really in the works…

Compare that to western countries where it takes much longer to put up such a thing. :[/quote]

That is so true. Strangely, Taiwanese governmental projects are actually built faster than those hundred-year projects (seems like) going on in Central Florida. Take years just for them Central Florida counties to pave a couple miles of road. Maybe the corruption in Florida isn’t as bad as Taiwan, but the construction speed…uhhhhhhhhh.