Don't rush to non-reserved seats if you missed high-speed rail tickets! Insider reveals 'smart trick' to avoid queues and secure seats throughout the journey, even during peak hours

Today, September 27, is the third day of the Mid-Autumn Festival and Teachers' Day long weekend. The holiday return rush has made reserved seats on Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) extremely hard to come by. One passenger tested a method by continuously refreshing the THSR App for 20 minutes after midnight, successfully securing two northbound tickets for the evening of the last holiday day, avoiding the risk of queuing for non-reserved seats. According to THSR statistics, the total passenger volume for the first two days of the holiday transport period (September 24-25) reached 663,000 person-trips, an increase of 54,000 compared to the same period last year. THSR predicts that the 'super peak period' for northbound travel will occur between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM on September 27.

If you missed getting a THSR ticket during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, don't rush to the non-reserved seats! An insider revealed a 'smart trick' to secure a seat for the entire journey without queuing, successfully booking two tickets. A netizen posted on Threads explaining that because they hadn't pre-booked a northbound ticket for September 27 and were worried about the crowds in the non-reserved carriages, they thought of the system's midnight release of unpaid tickets. Between 1:45 AM and 2:05 AM, they continuously refreshed the THSR App and 'successfully booked 2 tickets' for a train arriving in Taipei around 7:00 PM, which was their ideal time.

THSR statistics show that passenger volume on September 24 was 348,000 and on September 25 was 315,000, totaling 663,000 for the first two days, higher than the 609,000 recorded during the same period of last year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. THSR predicts that the period from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM on September 27 will be the most concentrated time for northbound return travel and suggests passengers travel during off-peak hours.

How to check the real-time crowd situation for non-reserved seats at THSR stations? In response to the large influx of passengers during peak holiday periods, THSR recommends that passengers take advantage of off-peak hours. Passengers can check the estimated 'waiting time for non-reserved seats' at each station via the LINE TODAY 'Life Channel', which displays a traffic light indicator, and prioritize traveling during off-peak hours shown in green.

Which carriage should you choose for non-reserved seats to have more seating? During the holiday period, reserved seats are hard to find. A tip circulating online suggests that choosing even-numbered carriages for non-reserved seats increases the chance of getting a seat. THSR confirmed this, explaining that odd-numbered carriages have restrooms that take up space, so even-numbered carriages indeed have more seats. Specifically, carriages 8 and 10 each have 96 seats, which is 11 more than carriages 9 and 11. Passengers are advised to check the station crowd indicator via the 'T-EX Action Ticketing' App before departure to stay informed of real-time conditions.

Carriage Number and Type | Number of Seats | Carriage Space Design and Configuration Features | Non-Reserved Seating and Seat-Grabbing Advice - Carriage 8 & Carriage 10: 96 seats. Even-numbered carriages, no restroom, complete space. Most seats (11 more than carriages 9 & 11). Priority choice. - Carriage 9 & Carriage 11: 85 seats. Odd-numbered carriages, equipped with restroom facilities. Fewer seats than even-numbered carriages. - Carriage 12: 68 seats. Has a driver's cab at the front; a common non-reserved carriage. Fewer seats than standard carriages. - Carriage 1: 63 seats. Has a driver's cab at the front; the carriage with the fewest seats on the entire train. Not a regular non-reserved area.