Premier Jiang Yi-huah today touted the newly completed Hualien-Taitung electric railway system, saying it will shorten travel time between Taipei and Taitung to 3.5 hours, boost transport services, reduce carbon and conserving energy. The convenient and rapid transit services will also spur tourism and related industries in eastern Taiwan.
The premier's remark followed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' (MOTC) report on a project to build a double-track electric railway between Hualien and Taitung. The project, part of the i-Taiwan 12 Projects proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou, aims to provide residents in the remote regions with a convenient means of transportation.
Premier Jiang thanked the MOTC, the Railway Reconstruction Bureau (RRB) and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) for years of hard work, which helped accelerate the completion of the project from March 2015 to June 2014. During trial runs of the system in the first half of July, the MOTC should ensure that the RRB and TRA thoroughly test services and facilities from the user's perspective in order to ensure a safe ride and demonstrate the quality of the electrified system, Jiang added.
The electric line is expected to lift tourism and economic development in eastern Taiwan, helping to generate NT$2.36 billion (US$77.7 million) per year, the MOTC said.
Once the other sections of the round-the-island railway system are electrified, the country will enjoy more train services, have dual options for east-west travel without the need for transferring, see fewer private vehicles on the road, and benefit from less air and noise pollution. Replacing diesel-fueled trains with electric locomotives also saves 16.7 percent energy while reducing carbon equal to the annual amount absorbed by a forest 28 times the size of Taipei's Da-an Park. This will help protect tourism resources in Hualien and Taitung and promote the region's sustainable development.
The inauguration ceremony for the Hualien-Taitung electric railway line will be held this Saturday, June 28, at the bus terminal next to Taitung Station.