Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail (台湾 高速 铁路Chinese, Pinyin Táiwān Gaosu Tielu, mostly short Chinese高 铁, Pinyin gāotiě ) is the high-speed railway of the Republic of China on Taiwan. The track is from 5 January 2007 and was connecting the capital, in the north Taipei with the seaport and second largest city of Kaohsiung in the south. The plan is an extension from the Taipei main station to station under construction Nan'gang east of the city as well as from the current southern terminus at Zuoying Kaohsiung Main Station.

The scheduled travel time between Taipei and Kaohsiung is 96 minutes with intermediate stops in Banqiao and Taichung. There is also a two- hour trips slightly slower version with additional stops in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Chiayi and Tainan.

Planning

At the beginning of the 1990s began in Taiwan studies on the construction of a high speed line between the Greater Taipei in the north of the island where the majority of the approximately 20 million people of Taiwan lives, and the second largest city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung in the south of the island ( 2.7 million inhabitants ). In air transport, both cities were in the late 1990s served by seven airlines in ten- minute intervals.

After years of investigations, the Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail project was announced in 1997 as a concession. In addition to building ( about five years to build ) should also be guaranteed the operation of the line over 30 years. Then, after about 35 years, the project should become the property of the state. In August 1997 there were two services on: Firstly, there was an offer of € Train ago, a consortium of Siemens, GEC -Alsthom and Taiwanese companies that offered a mix of ICE and TGV technology. In addition, the Chinese High Speed ​​Rail Consortium ( CHSRC ) had advertised with Japanese Shinkansen technology for the job.

In early October 1997 ( another source: February 1998) was declared the Euro Train Consortium for " preferred provider " for the establishment and operation of the new line and negotiated a concession contract. The joint venture came here on a consortium with five Taiwanese companies and the Evergreen Group as Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail Consortium. The offer of 11.8 billion U.S. dollars included in addition to establishing the route and the delivery of trains also operating license; accounted for around four billion dollars to the European partners. The Taiwanese Transport Authority had decided by its own account, due to the significantly better financing proposals for the European rather than the favored Japanese Shinkansen solution. The Taiwanese favorite trains as a mixture of two ICE power cars for 300 km / h and the 12 TGV Duplex central car in double-deck design. The trains should, inter alia, a German catenary type Re 330 and the train control system Linienzugbeeinflussung obtained while on the French side, the interlocking equipment should be supplied.

After the planning stage of the beginning of 1998 the track for a top speed of 350 km / h should be designed with a maximum gradient of 40 ‰. 252 of 345 route kilometers should lead over viaducts and bridges, 48 in the tunnel. The operation should be included from 1 July 2003, at which 18 hours per day and headways of up to three minutes to 300,000 travelers can be transported in each direction should.

After the European consortium submitted the end of December 1999, a final offer, the operating company of Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail Coroporation announced surprisingly, instead of the Euro Train consortium to commission a Japanese consortium led by Mitsui Group with the construction of the track and the delivery of trains. A comparison of the tenders was, according to a spokesman of the operator revealed that the Shinkansen technology, the European solution in many aspects was superior. A lawsuit of Euro Train against the award was rejected in early February 2000.

Construction

In May 1999, work began on the track with the foundation stone laying ceremony of the main operating plant Yanchao (Chinese燕巢) in Kaohsiung. The 345 km long new line is completely separate from the existing Taiwanese railway network and used in contrast to its Kapspurweite the standard gauge ( 1,435 mm). It is specially dedicated to the high -speed passenger transport. 300 km of the route are exclusively tunnels and bridges to avoid other traffic arteries and to correspond to the ecological requirements; also animal underpasses were created. In addition, twelve stations are planned along the route, which are built by locally based companies. Eight of them are now completed and in operation.

Planned completion was actually October 2005. Circa However, 88% of the route, 92 % of the railway station and only 60 % of the mechanical and electronic systems were only completed in July 2005. For this reason and due to financial difficulties, the completion was first postponed to October 2006, then at the end of December 2006. Since January 2007, the route is now up and running, if it has for the time being to fight with various childhood diseases (especially in the ticketing system ).

To safeguard against approximately 30,000 registered annually in Taiwan earthquake, the route in many places was anchored about 100 meters deep in the ground.

The Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail Corporation ( THSRC ) is responsible for the implementation and financing. Due to the delays, the total cost is now at about 15 billion U.S. dollars. It is valid as one of the most expensive new railway lines in the world.

Several German companies were involved in the construction, including Bilfinger Berger AG (about 80 km distance Loose complete), Hochtief AG (approx. 40 km Streckenlos ), BWG ( supply and installation of high-speed switches to 10,000 m radius) and Pfleiderer ( thresholds slab track ).

End of January 2005 began initial tests with supplied from Japan high-speed trains. Due to delayed construction commissioning in October 2005 has been postponed to October 2006. 13 drivers from Germany controlled the first trains and formed over nine months their Taiwanese colleagues. End of May 2007 drove for the first time Taiwanese engineer the trains.

On January 2, 2011, a 6.5 km long route went to Tainan connection to the rail line in operation.

Train technology

The Japanese Shinkansen Series 700 has been rebuilt and partly combined with the 500 series, that it meets the requirements of geography, topography, climatic conditions and laws of the Republic of China for the better traction. This new type of train was designated 700T. Were ordered 30 complete train sets, each of which consists of twelve cars with a capacity of 986 passengers. Eleven cars are second class (economy class) and one car per train first class ( business class) with wider, more comfortable seats. Are being built these trains from the Taiwan Shinkansen Corporation. (TSC, Chinese台湾 新 干线, Pinyin Táiwān Xīngànxiàn ), a consortium led by the Japanese Shinkansen group. Companies from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo and Hitachi Ltd. there.

Test operation

The first tests began in January 2005 on a 60 km section in the south between Kaohsiung and Tainan. Different Geschwindkeitstests took place. The end of October the targeted speed of 300 km / h was achieved with 315 km / h exceeded even though the trains in passenger service ultimately just 300 km / h.

Bahnhöfe

• Nan'gang (南港) ( under construction): underground, located in Taipei, City District Nan'gang
• Taipei (台北): underground, located in Taipei, joint station with TRA Taipei Station
• Banqiao (板桥): underground, located in Banqiao, joint station with TRA Banqiao Station
• Taoyuan (桃园): underground, also Qingpu (青埔) called, located in Zhongli (中 坜) bus service to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport
• Hsinchu (新竹): situated high in Liujia (六家) Zhubei (竹北), near Technology Park Xinzhu
• Miaoli (苗栗): increased ( in construction)
• Taichung (台中): situated high in Wuri (乌 日), common station with TRA station Wuri
• Changhua (彰化) ( under construction): increased
• Yunlin (云林) ( under construction): increased
• Chiayi (嘉义): situated high in Taibao (太保)
• Tainan (台南): situated high in Guiren (归仁)
• Zuoying (左 营): ground floor, located in Kaohsiung, joint station with TRA Station New Zuoying (新 左 营)
• Kaohsiung (高雄) ( reset ): underground, in the center of Kaohsiung

Trivia

Driving Efficient models ( in N ) of the train 700T with the typical ivory - orange paint are available in 7 -Eleven stores in the stations.

In July 2007, the output is " Taiwan High Speed ​​Railway" of the Playstation computer game " Railfan " appeared with original recordings of a cab passenger ride from Taipei to Zuoying in high-definition quality. The aim of the game is to control a train timetable in accordance with or as soon as possible in compliance with the speed limits from start to destination.