Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail Lines

Taiwan Nets July 27 (Strait Herald reporter Lin Jingdong and Lin Jingyu) In Taiwan, there is a railroad that has been peddled “with high security risks”—Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail is one of the important long-distance transportation tools in western Taiwan. The track industry index in Taiwan plays an important role in the travel of land passengers to Taiwan. But it started from the beginning and it has been a lot of fate—

Event 1: Driving backwards 28 kilometers

On July 15, 2007, Taiwan’s high-speed rails failed to pass through the switch. The train reverted from Taichung Station to Changhua Station and retreated 28 kilometers.

The accident caused the two-and-a-half-hour delay in the operation of the HSR. The high-speed rail in Taiwan caused frequent accidents due to the switch. As of the end of last year, there were a total of 31 abnormal signal events and the delay time was as long as 153 minutes.

Responsive: Find original factory overhaul

Taiwan’s high-speed rail system is the world’s first “European-Japanese hybrid system”. It uses Japanese Shinkansen trains, and partially references the electromechanical systems and safety measures adopted by European high-speed rails. Experts on the island pointed out that Taiwan’s environment is too humid and it is very easy to cause abnormal signals in the European system. The situation of successive switches has brought about the running-in of the European and Japanese systems to the top.

Taiwan’s “High-speed Rail Bureau” once analyzed abnormal conditions of high-speed rails and asked Taiwan’s High-speed Rail Corporation to submit a report, comprehensively inspect high-speed rail operations, maintenance, and services, and find a thorough overhaul of the original factory. In addition, the high-speed rail company also strengthened the simulation exercise and shortened repair time.

Event 2: First stop due to earthquake

On March 4, 2010, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Kaohsiung in Jiaxian Township, causing Taiwan’s high-speed rail to stop for the first time due to an earthquake. A northbound train line was hit by an earthquake through the Tainan New City section, resulting in the derailment of two wheels in one compartment. At that time, the train had lost its balance and almost crashed into the roadside guardrail. The high-speed rail braked quickly and more than 300 passengers on the car were safe and sound.

Response: 51 earthquake detection stations along the line

Taiwan is a region prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. As early as before the opening of the high-speed railway, the Taiwan High-speed Rail Bureau of the “Ministry of Communications” formulated the "Contingency Plan for the Prevention and Relief of Traffic Accidents on the Taiwan High-speed Railway."

The high-speed rail has a seismic warning system and 51 seismic detection stations are located along the line to connect with the traffic control center. Earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 or higher are detected and the trains affected by the earthquake are parked by the automatic train control system. After the September 21 earthquake, the high-speed rail design was re-examined. It cost NT$40 billion (NT$, the same below) to intensify the civil engineering project and increase the shock resistance of the HSR to seven levels. In addition, the design of Taiwan's high-speed rails allows the train to glide along waveforms in the event of an earthquake, minimizing casualties.

In addition, Taiwan's high-speed rail line is equipped with lightning protection facilities. So far, no lightning strikes have hit the cars.

Event 3: 13 minutes "driverless"

In April 2010, a 13-minute "driverless" outlier incident occurred on the Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail. The driver of the train had not received medical attention because of sleep disturbances. He suspected that taking sleeping pills had side effects and he was on duty until he was half dormant. The driver’s alert device was discovered after the driver did not perform any train operation for more than one minute, issued a warning message and started automatic driving. More than 500 passengers eventually arrived safely, but shouted: "Good horror!"

Response: Blood pressure detection before the driver on duty

After the train started the automatic driving, the trainmaster also stayed in the cockpit to monitor, and kept in touch with the line control center to make the train stop smoothly, showing that the automatic control system's safety protection mechanism was successful.

Taiwan’s high-speed rail currently has 116 drivers and is required to undergo a physical examination once a year. In addition to alerting drivers that they are ill and seeking medical attention, they are not allowed to take medicines on their own, and doctors also avoid psychoactive drugs. Drivers will also undergo alcohol testing and blood pressure testing before each duty. After the incident, the high-speed train will strengthen the driver's test. Once a year, the inspection will compare the current regulations with the use of viper anesthetic drugs. It will also include the ratio of persons who are vulnerable to psychotropic drug tests and will occasionally spot check the driver's physical examination from 25%. Increase to 40%.

Event 4: Subsidence of strata in some sections of the road
In June this year, the heads of Taiwan’s relevant departments confirmed for the first time that Taiwan’s high-speed rail faces problems of subsidence in the Yunlin and Changhua regions. Changhua is currently subsiding 5.3 centimeters per year, with a subsidence of 51.4 square kilometers. Yunlin's subsidence is 6.8 centimeters per year, and the subsidence range is 397.6 square kilometers, which seriously jeopardizes the safety of high-speed rails. According to the analysis, the main reason is the excessive extraction of groundwater. If the problem cannot be solved, the service life of Taiwan's high-speed rail will be only 10 years.

Response: Blocking wells to save high-speed iron stratum

The island's engineering, water conservancy, and industrial sectors, as well as the water supply company, set out to investigate the most serious sections of the high-speed rail subsidence, and to understand the current status of the distribution of industrial and agricultural water and live tap water in Yunlin. The relevant agencies completed the investigation and planning of the overall water use problem so as to make overall allocation of water resources. In order to cope with subsidence, Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail Corporation has adjusted the support pads of the railway subgrade bridge piers and reinforced the bridge structures in succession.

On the 25th, the Taiwan authorities had already passed a plan to save high-speed rail from wells, and from this year onwards, it will invest 52.8 billion yuan in 2021 and seal 967 deep wells to ensure the safety of high-speed rails.