TRA to Continue with Freight Services Despite Low Load Factor|行駛逾半世紀 台鐵行包列車使用率低
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Taiwan Railways Administration has operated freight trains for 60 years. At its peak, this service transported 6.4 million items a year, including scooters and produce. The load factor however has been dropping due to the increased convenience of transportation and the rise of private courier companies. Last year, the service only transported 280,000 items. The TRA says it will not lightly decide to cancel this service, because these freight trains are an important way to transport goods in eastern Taiwan.
Ms. Yan fills out forms, pays and obtains a receipt at Taipei's Songshan Station to transport a scooter to Hualien. Luckily, she went to the station in time for her scooter to be sent out the nightly freight train, which means the delivery will arrive on the next day.
In other places, it costs NT$ 900 or NT$ 1,000 (to send a scooter). Taiwan Railways Administration only charges around NT$ 700. In other places, it takes three days to arrive (in Hualien). With the TRA, it arrives the next day.
Taiwan Railways Administration has offered speedy freight services for 60 years. Its freight trains transport goods, even live poultry and pets if they are caged. These freight trains are an important way to transport goods in eastern Taiwan, and also used to transport produce and flowers grown in central and southern Taiwan to the north. However, the load factor has been dropping due to the development of the transport network and rise of private courier services. Last year, these trains only transported 280,000 items, a new low.
The outside competition is quite fierce right now. T Cat Courier and Chunghwa Post offer home delivery services. Taiwan Railways Administration mostly only delivers to train stations. The number of transported scooters has dropped, maybe because of the declining birthrate.
The TRA has reduced the staff at its freight centers as the freight volume declines. However, it says it doesn't have plans to cancel the service because its freight services are extremely important to eastern Taiwan. The TRA's freight trains are former local express trains, and only equipped with fans. The floors are wooden and the carriages have a retro appearance, which are all footprints of the history of Taiwan's freight services.
Ms. Yan fills out forms, pays and obtains a receipt at Taipei's Songshan Station to transport a scooter to Hualien. Luckily, she went to the station in time for her scooter to be sent out the nightly freight train, which means the delivery will arrive on the next day.
In other places, it costs NT$ 900 or NT$ 1,000 (to send a scooter). Taiwan Railways Administration only charges around NT$ 700. In other places, it takes three days to arrive (in Hualien). With the TRA, it arrives the next day.
Taiwan Railways Administration has offered speedy freight services for 60 years. Its freight trains transport goods, even live poultry and pets if they are caged. These freight trains are an important way to transport goods in eastern Taiwan, and also used to transport produce and flowers grown in central and southern Taiwan to the north. However, the load factor has been dropping due to the development of the transport network and rise of private courier services. Last year, these trains only transported 280,000 items, a new low.
The outside competition is quite fierce right now. T Cat Courier and Chunghwa Post offer home delivery services. Taiwan Railways Administration mostly only delivers to train stations. The number of transported scooters has dropped, maybe because of the declining birthrate.
The TRA has reduced the staff at its freight centers as the freight volume declines. However, it says it doesn't have plans to cancel the service because its freight services are extremely important to eastern Taiwan. The TRA's freight trains are former local express trains, and only equipped with fans. The floors are wooden and the carriages have a retro appearance, which are all footprints of the history of Taiwan's freight services.
