Excessive Speed Surmised to be Cause of Train Accident|政院調查小組:翻車意外 初步判定超速導致

A task force has been established to investigate the cause of the worst derailment incident in 37 years that killed at least 18 and injured hundreds. Preliminary conclusion shows that excessive speed has something to do with the tragedy. However, why the train was traveling at such a high speed remains unknown, and requires further investigation.


Footage from security cameras shows the moment a Puyuma Express train derails near Yilan's Xinma Station at 4:50 p.m. on Oct. 21. The Executive Yuan subsequently established an investigatory task force to determine the reason for the accident. The task force surveyed the accident site and met for the first time on Oct. 22. Its preliminary conclusion is that excessive speed caused the accident. As the train approached the bend near the station, its speed should have been reduced to 65 to 75 kilometers per hour. However, it was traveling at 140 kilometers per hour at the moment of the accident.

The speed was very clear, that is a fact. However, further investigation is required to achieve a complete understanding behind the reason for this situation so we can come to a definitive conclusion.

Minister without Portfolio Wu Tse-cheng has been appointed convener of the task force. He says information must be cross-referenced to determine the reason for the accident and whether there was any malfunction. According to internal Taiwan Railways Administration information sent out at 4:33 p.m. on the day of the accident, the Puyuma Express train passed through Shuangxi Station at 3:57 p.m. The driver reported problems with the train's power system, which meant power could not be supplied to the engine. The train was already 14 minutes behind schedule when it passed through Guishan Station, and it was scheduled to be serviced at Yilan Station. The train arrived at Yilan Station at 4:34 p.m., but the problem was not resolved. At that time, the train was 15 minutes behind schedule. It was decided the passengers would be transferred to another train at Hualien Station. However, the train derailed at Xinma Station at 4:50 p.m. before it reached Hualien Station. There are questions as to why the passengers were not transferred immediately when the problem arose. Further investigation is needed to determine if the automatic train protection system had been turned off by the driver and maintenance personnel.

We haven't yet met with the driver. We wanted to question the driver yesterday, but prosecutors were already there investigating and they advised us to postpone the questioning because the driver was in a fragile psychological state.

Wu says the task force is not assuming anything. The driver was a part-time driver, and was providing assistance for the additional trains that were added to the schedule that weekend. TRA employees have revealed providing assistance is the normal situation on weekends due to a labor shortage, but all drivers have the required licenses. When asked if there is pressure on drivers to make up for time caused by delays, these employees say internal regulations require drivers of late trains to submit reports no matter what the reason for the delay is. They must also respond to the reason dispatchers give for the delay. This accident has perhaps revealed supervision problems within the TRA.