TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Railway Corporation (台鐵) faced significant disruptions on the South-link line (南迴線) on Wednesday (June 19) due to multiple signal malfunctions.
One such incident occurred at Kangle Station (康樂車站) around 1 p.m., caused by a burnt-out bulb in the departure signal. This issue was promptly fixed by maintenance staff but affected four trains, leading to a total delay of 99 minutes.
Earlier in the day, at 8:40 a.m., a fault between Guangfu Station (光復車站) and Fuyuan Station (富源車站) required the implementation of manual block signaling, impacting train movements. This fault on the single-track segment of the line caused delays for both southbound and northbound trains. Emergency crews were quickly deployed to address the malfunction.
The Taiwan Railway Corporation has noted that each station is equipped with two automatic signal sets, including track electric signals and axle counter signals. Unfortunately, both systems failed simultaneously early that morning.
This earlier disruption affected 10 trains, leading to a cumulative delay of 370 minutes. A bridging method has since been employed to restore the signals. An investigation into the exact causes of these signal anomalies is ongoing.