Taiwan Railway Corp resumed normal operations yesterday after a major service disruption caused by an electrical fault between Shulin and Yingge stations. The fault occurred Friday morning at Shanjia Station, suspending two-way rail traffic from 9:17 a.m. Workers restored full service late Friday night, and the first train yesterday morning departed on time.
Limited services resumed after about four hours using a single track for both directions. This caused massive delays, particularly during rush hour. To ease congestion, Taiwan Railway allowed passengers with e-tickets to board Tze-Chiang express trains on the Keelung-Hsinchu route Friday afternoon. Taiwan High Speed Rail also dispatched two non-reserved seat trains during rush hour.
The service disruption affected 201 trains, resulting in cumulative delays of 342 hours and 30 minutes. Passengers who experienced travel disruptions can request a refund within one year. The company will waive all refund fees.
The Taiwan Railways Engineering Union wrote on Facebook that the incident exposed a structural crisis built up over a long period. The union stated that this crisis is now fully erupting. Personnel in engineering and electrical units no longer handle just one job each. Many workers are now shouldering the workload of two or three people.
Each unit is often responsible for more than ten kilometers of railways. The union says inspection schedules and workloads far exceed what is physically or legally manageable. Staffing has not kept pace with the growing workload. Senior management is even considering further cuts to on-site personnel to save costs. The union described this as completely out of touch with the reality on the ground.
Taiwan Railway said it will outline concrete measures within one week in response to the service disruption. The company will conduct a thorough investigation of root causes. It will also improve reporting systems and strengthen cross-unit collaboration.
The company defended its staffing and compensation record since corporatization. Entry-level employees now start at NT$37,000 to NT$45,000. Frontline workers can earn NT$47,000 to NT$55,000 per month with hazard and night-shift allowances. The company has also boosted employee benefits, including holiday transportation bonuses and higher repair incentives.
Overall salaries have risen by 7 percent, increasing base pay. Hazard duty allowances, remote area pay, and night-shift premiums are now in place. Night-shift pay has risen from NT$120 to as much as NT$400 this year.
The service disruption highlights ongoing tensions between management and labor. The union’s structural crisis warning suggests that Friday’s delays may recur without fundamental changes. Taiwan Railway faces pressure to address staffing shortages while maintaining fiscal discipline. The company’s promised action plan will determine whether it can prevent similar disruptions in the future.
