TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) announced Thursday (Sept. 26) that Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR, 台灣高鐵) has purchased new N700S trains from Japan, each equipped with six wheelchair spaces.
This move aims to address the increasing demand for accessible seating.
During a legislative session, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) highlighted the current shortfall in wheelchair seating.
He cited the insufficient number of wheelchair spaces on each THSR train, which currently has 989 seats but only four. He emphasized Taiwan's aging population and the urgent need for more accessible seating, noting that over 1.2 million people in Taiwan have disabilities.
Hung mentioned that disability advocacy groups have requested more wheelchair spaces since 2018. However, THSR previously responded that removing seats would compromise the train's structural integrity.
The new trains, set to enter service in 2027, will increase the number of wheelchair spaces from four to six, addressing some of these long-standing concerns.