Taipei: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) announced that its train services returned to normal on Tuesday following an overnight repair operation that resolved a signaling problem and had disrupted service on the previous day.
According to Focus Taiwan, THSRC stated that maintenance workers were on site by 11:30 p.m. Monday at the section of track in Miaoli where the switch signal issue was identified. Repairs commenced immediately after the last train of the day passed through the area, and the problem was fixed by 1:43 a.m. An emergency response meeting led by Chairman Shih Che at 3:30 a.m. confirmed the railway's return to its regular schedule.
THSRC is retaining the malfunctioning components for analysis in collaboration with the manufacturer and third parties to identify the cause of the issue. Initial assessments suggest the problem originated in the power module of the switch machine control case, part of an ongoing three-year signaling system update due for completion by year-end.
The railway company issued an apology for the inconvenience caused on Monday and announced that passengers at all high-speed rail stations would receive complimentary snacks, bread, and bottled water on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the signaling problem led to the cancellation of all scheduled trains starting at 8 a.m. THSRC managed the situation by dispatching three southbound trains per hour from Nangang Station and three northbound trains from Zuoying Station, stopping at every station along the route, with only non-reserved seating available except in business-class cars.
The railway offered 50 percent or full refunds for travelers affected by the delays, depending on their arrival time at their destination.