Are passengers losing interest in trains? Taiwan Railways sees an 820,000 passenger decrease, experts reveal it's not just about fare increases

Since Taiwan Railways adjusted its fares on June 23 last year, its financial operations have shown an increase in ticket revenue and a decrease in passenger numbers. According to the latest statistics, after the fare adjustment, overall ticket revenue increased by approximately 30% compared to the previous year, but total passenger volume showed a slight decreasing trend. Comparing data from July last year to May this year with the same period the previous year, total passenger volume decreased from 221 million to 220 million, losing approximately 820,000 passengers, a slight decrease of 0.37%. In terms of travel distance, short-distance passenger volume increased by 1%, but medium and long-distance passenger volume decreased by 6%. Facing the loss of medium and long-distance passengers, internal unions have put forward specific operational suggestions. Chen Shijie, secretary-general of the Taiwan Railways Enterprise Union, analyzed that after the fare adjustment, the gap between medium and long-distance fares and high-speed rail fares has narrowed. For the western main line, it is possible to increase the scheduling of TAROKO and PUXING trains to attract passengers who do not want to transfer frequently, such as planning direct routes from Taipei to Taichung and Chaozhou to Taichung. Zhu Zhi Yu, secretary-general of the Taiwan Railways Industry Union, mentioned that after the timetable change, some trains have added stops at small stations, which has extended the overall travel time and caused passenger dissatisfaction. Zhu Zhi Yu urged that the planning of train schedules and stopping stations should return to professionalism and avoid political interference in scheduling operations. Regarding passenger volume and union demands, Taiwan Railways responded that it will continue to improve ticket purchasing, ticket collection, and the overall travel experience. In terms of safety management, the number of accidents is showing a decreasing trend. Currently, multiple measures are being implemented, including weekly accident reviews, SOP assessments for train crews, increasing personal non-responsibility work bonuses, and increasing bonuses for achieving accident reduction targets. Meanwhile, Taiwan High Speed Rail is conducting large-scale recruitment in response to business expansion. To cope with the introduction of the new N700ST model and future increased services, Taiwan High Speed Rail has launched its largest driver recruitment drive since its inception, aiming to recruit 45 drivers. Currently, the Taiwan High Speed Rail team has 213 drivers, and this recruitment has received as many as 700 resumes. Starting this year, they will be hired in batches. Taiwan High Speed Rail explained that past driver recruitment channels covered internal selection and external recruitment. Since the new model will soon join operations, in addition to the existing 213 drivers all needing to undergo new car driver training, new hires must simultaneously master the operating requirements of the current N700T model and the new N700ST model. For the newly hired drivers who will be hired in batches, the training process is arranged to be quite rigorous. Taiwan High Speed Rail stated that the relevant professional training content includes classroom courses, simulator operation training, and actual vehicle operation training, among other aspects, to ensure driving safety and smooth operations.