Taiwan High Speed Rail boosts services for Lunar New Year

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) unveiled plans on Thursday (Jan. 24) to introduce eight additional trains during the upcoming Lunar New Year travel period, spanning from Feb. 6 to 15.

This expansion comprises five southbound and three northbound trains. Tickets for these supplementary services will become available from midnight on Saturday, Jan. 27.

In anticipation of peak passenger volumes, THSRC will also extend unreserved seating options, especially during high-demand travel hours, across eight train carriages operating between Nangang and Taichung.

Throughout the Lunar New Year season, THSRC is set to provide a total of 461 extra train services, including 246 southbound and 215 northbound trains. This boosts the overall services available over the 10-day period to 1,875.

To ensure a smooth journey, THSRC advises passengers to plan ahead by consulting the 'transport season sales information' posted on the corporation's website and avoiding peak travel times when specific services are most crowded.

Real-time updates on passenger volumes at various stations during the Lunar New Year period will also be accessible on the THSRC website.

In instances where stations need to implement crowd control measures for unreserved seating, a yellow or red light indicator will be used. A yellow light signifies an estimated waiting time of more than 30 minutes, while a red light indicates a wait exceeding 60 minutes.

For added convenience, passengers can receive crowd control updates and manage their travel arrangements using the T-EX mobile ticketing app, which will issue alerts if a station's light status changes to yellow or red.