TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan High Speed Rail (台灣高鐵) cancelled all scheduled trains Monday (May 25) after a signal anomaly in the Miaoli (苗栗) section forced the operator to switch to emergency services. The disruption stranded thousands of commuters during peak morning hours and delayed a legislative hearing when Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and multiple legislators were unable to reach parliament on time.
The signal malfunction was discovered during pre-operation preparation work in the early morning hours, THSR said. The operator initially implemented single-track bidirectional operations, causing delays of more than 20 minutes per train, before escalating to a full schedule cancellation at 8 a.m.
Under the emergency schedule, THSR is operating three trains per hour in each direction from Nangang Station (南港站) southbound and Zuoying Station (左營站) northbound, departing at the top of each hour, 20 minutes past, and 40 minutes past. All trains stop at every station and offer only unreserved seating, excluding business class carriages.
The disruption forced the Legislative Yuan's (立法院) Transportation Committee to postpone a budget review hearing originally scheduled for 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Committee convener Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) and several other legislators were also delayed, SET News reported.
A full system inspection is not expected until the evening, Lin said, meaning the emergency schedule will remain in effect throughout the day. THSR said repairs are ongoing and pledged to provide real-time updates on operational status.
THSR announced compensation measures for affected passengers. Passengers whose trains arrive at their destination 30 to 59 minutes behind the original schedule will receive a 50 percent refund of the ticket price. Those delayed 60 minutes or more will receive a full refund.
Passengers holding tickets for cancelled trains may obtain full refunds if the tickets were unused. Those who had their journeys interrupted may receive refunds for the untraveled portion without handling fees. Passengers who downgraded from reserved to unreserved seating may claim the fare difference at any station ticket counter within one year of travel.
THSR has not disclosed what caused the signal anomaly or provided an estimate of how many passengers have been affected. It was not immediately clear when normal service would resume. ◼