Taiwan Railway reports 2 incidents at Chishang Station

Taiwan Railway reported two separate incidents at Chishang Station in Taitung County, resulting in single-track operations and widespread delays on the Taitung Line.

The railway said the first incident occurred at 11:15 a.m., when freight train No. 7602 derailed during unloading operations involving a track transfer. The derailment caused the train to strike a utility pole.

For safety reasons, tracks 3 and 4 at Chishang Station were immediately suspended, forcing trains to operate on tracks 1 and 2 only. This caused a Tze-chiang Limited Express train to wait while engineers confirmed utility lines remained intact.

The train eventually entered the station 33 minutes behind schedule, while additional northbound and southbound services also experienced similar delays. The temporary closure of tracks at Chishang Station caused disruptions along the Taitung Line and prompted numerous passenger complaints.

A second incident occurred at 12:25 p.m., when Puyuma Express train No. 417 damaged an overhead electrical line while departing Chishang Station. The incident further disrupted operations as the railway advised passengers traveling to check updated train information before heading to stations.

Passengers criticized the railway’s handling of the disruptions and lack of timely information at stations. A passenger waiting at Guanshan Station said railway staff were aware of the situation at Chishang Station but failed to notify passengers along the line.

The passenger said travelers could have arranged alternative transportation if they had been informed earlier, instead of waiting in extreme heat without updates.

Other passengers questioned Taiwan Railway’s emergency response procedures, arguing that real-time information and passenger communication are as important as train scheduling during service disruptions.

Taiwan Railway said a response team was coordinating repairs and adjusting train operations. It apologized again for inconveniencing passengers.