Premier Lin Chuan was in Yilan County today to attend a forum where he communicated with local government officials and legislators, listened to their ideas and exchanged opinions about transportation infrastructure issues in eastern Taiwan.
During the forum, the participants discussed the government's plan to ease traffic congestion in Yilan following the opening of the Hsuehshan Tunnel and the re-engineered Suhua Highway, and resolve bottlenecks on transit routes connecting eastern Taiwan with other parts of the island. The premier expressed hope that the government and all interested parties, including the Yilan County Government and the Eastern Express Promotion Committee that was set up by Yilan residents to promote a direct rail link between Taipei and Yilan, will be able to reach a consensus on transportation infrastructure construction in eastern Taiwan.
Asking the public to be confident about the government's determination to resolve eastern Taiwan's transportation issues, the premier instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to address what can be improved in the current stage, and work to achieve two goals:
● Increase the frequency of train service within a half year, and build a crossover between the Qidu and Badu stations to expand transport capacity in eastern Taiwan.
● Use "smart" technology to integrate Yilan's traffic management system within one year to help resolve local traffic problems.
The MOTC said it has set three objectives for railway transport in eastern Taiwan. The first is to provide rapid transit services for residents in Keelung City. The MOTC thus plans to build rapid transit railway routes to meet the needs of local commuters, improving the capacity and efficiency of railway systems in eastern Taiwan while also helping to reduce the amount of road traffic between Keelung, eastern Taiwan and Taipei.
The second objective is to speed up transport between Taipei and Yilan. This will increase the transport capacity of eastern railroad lines while diverting some of the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway's current traffic to the railway to alleviate freeway traffic congestion. A comprehensive review of plans for the Taipei-Yilan New Rail Line is now underway, including discussions regarding major environmental assessment issues including water conservation, as well as disaster prevention and rescue operations for long railway tunnels. Prior to finalizing the plan's details, the MOTC will promote a transportation technology management pilot program in Yilan County to gain a thorough understanding of travel behavior and help find ways to overcome traffic bottlenecks.
The last objective is to increase the capacity of the Hualien-Taitung line. To improve railway services in eastern Taiwan, the MOTC will continue to promote several previously approved projects including the Hualien-Taitung Line Electrification Project, the Hualien-Taitung Efficiency Improvement Project and the South-Link Line Railway Electrification Project, as well as a six-year railway safety project that also aims to expand the capacity of the North Link Line.