Taiwan High Speed Rail Signal Failure Causes Major Delays; Chairman Apologizes and Orders Third-Party Investigation

Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) experienced signal failures on the 25th, affecting operations throughout the day. Chairman Shi Zhe apologized today, stating that this was the first incident after replacing over 80% of the power modules. The company has submitted the case to a third-party investigation to identify the root cause and prevent recurrence. At the annual shareholders' meeting, Shi reported that ridership reached a record 82.07 million last year, with revenue hitting NT$54.65 billion. However, as the system approaches its 20th anniversary, it faces the challenge of equipment upgrades. The incident on the 25th occurred during the replacement of power modules in the switch control box in the Miaoli section. Despite system resets, the issue persisted, forcing the company to limit operations to three trains per hour to avoid a total shutdown. Shi emphasized that safety is the top priority and that speed reduction is necessary during signal anomalies. This is the most severe operational disruption since 2013.