Taiwan Railway Vehicle Replacement Budget Execution Lags; Cheng Kuang-yuan Changes Dispatching Approach

By Central News Agency Reporter Huang Chiao-wen, Taipei, June 17 Taiwan Railway's budget execution for vehicle replacement has lagged behind schedule. Chairman Cheng Kuang-yuan stated today that the previous practice of using older trains first and only dispatching new ones after breakdowns was incorrect. Upon taking office last year, he discovered multiple unaccepted EMU3000 trainsets and immediately ordered accelerated acceptance procedures, allowing older trains to be shifted to backup status and improving overall fleet reliability.

During today's legislative budget review by the Transportation Committee of the Legislative Yuan, lawmakers raised concerns about the execution of Taiwan Railway's vehicle replacement budget. Cheng explained that both the EMU3000 and EMU900 models have now been fully delivered and are in service. While all E500 locomotives have been delivered, some units have not yet passed acceptance due to oil leakage issues, and negotiations with the manufacturer are ongoing. As for the R200 model, five units remain undelivered due to poor vehicle conditions, and the railway has demanded that the manufacturer make necessary improvements.

Cheng noted that budget execution delays have significantly improved. When he assumed the chairmanship in June last year, over ten EMU3000 trainsets had not yet been accepted. He ordered expedited procedures, and acceptance was completed by the end of last year.

Cheng pointed out that Taiwan Railway has long been perceived as frugal, often deploying older trains first and only using new ones after failures. "This approach is wrong," he emphasized. He has instructed staff to accept and deploy new trains as soon as they are ready, keeping older trains in reserve to enhance fleet availability.

Regarding recent issues with the EMU900 pantograph, Cheng noted that corrosion appeared after just over a year of operation. After coordinating with the manufacturer, the parts were replaced with next-generation integrated components, and the corrosion problem has now been fully resolved.

Cheng acknowledged that new trains inevitably face some design issues, requiring time-consuming negotiations with manufacturers. He stressed that Taiwan Railway is handling new train deliveries with great caution.

On the issue of insufficient staffing despite two recruitment drives since corporatization, General Manager Feng Hui-sheng stated that 1,528 personnel were hired in the first two rounds. The third recruitment drive is currently underway, aiming to fill 461 vacancies. Including both primary and alternate candidates, over 760 people will be recruited, ensuring all positions will eventually be filled. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150617