One-year to Repair the Hualien-Taitung Line: TRA 震後花東鐵路受損嚴重 台鐵估費時1年恢復

Taiwan Railways estimates that it will be one year before the broken railways are restored, yet tourism in Taitung County is finally picking up. Therefore, businesses are calling for governmental subsidy measures on transportation, to reduce the impact. 

Unable to withstand the strong earthquake, the tracks of a bridge at the Donli section of the Hualien-Taitung Line twisted completely out of shape. The railway bridge crossing over the Xiuguluan River is also completely dislocated. Even though Taiwan Railway has initiated a rail replacement bus service to transport passengers going to and from Hualien and Taitung, travelers said this substitute transportation is very inconvenient and will lower people's willingness to travel to Taitung.

Ms. Yeh, Traveler: “Normally it takes about two hours, three hours at most. But now it takes five hours or more; I think it's a total waste of time.”

Mr. Chen, Traveler: “I'd just drive myself.”

Following the major Hualien-Taitung earthquake is the National Day long weekend, yet the Taitung hotel industry is starting to receive cancellations and the hotel occupancy rate dropped to 50 percent from full occupancy. Tourism in Taitung County has just finally picked up after the epidemic low but now dips down again due to the earthquake. Businesses call for the government's urgent planning of transportation subsidies and other relevant measures.

Chen Hong-tsong, Taitung County Councilor: “If there is no train service tourists would not change to a rail replacement bus service.”

Pan Gui-lan, Chairperson, Taitung Visitors Association: “If the train is unable to be restored, we hope that there can be some subsidy for air flight tickets for tourists or local residents.”

The distance between Hualien and Taitung counties is equal to the distance between six counties in the western part of Taiwan. The current transportation method, the train, which is the most time-conserving and provides the highest capacity, may be broken for one year, basically wiping out transportation convenience from Taitung northward. The public is not only concerned about transportation but also concerned that the economy will be adversely affected.

禁不起強震，台鐵花東鐵路東里段一座橋樑，軌道整個扭曲。跨越秀姑巒溪的鐵道橋也整個錯位偏移，花東鐵路這次的地震受創嚴重，台鐵雖然啟動「類火車」接駁花東兩地的民眾和遊客，但遊客認為這樣的交通模式很不方便，會降低到台東旅遊的意願。

遊客葉小姐說：「平時大概是2個小時，3個小時就可以到啊，那現在要變成要5個多小時，我覺得很浪費時間。」

遊客陳先生說：「就自己開車了啦。」

花東大地震後，接著就是雙十節連續假期，現在台東的旅宿業已經陸續接到退房，訂房率從滿房一下跌了一半，剩下5成左右。台東的觀光景氣好不容易走出疫情的低潮，現在又陷入大地震的低潮，業者呼籲政府趕快規畫交通補貼配套措施。

台東縣議員陳宏宗表示：「火車沒有通車，這個觀光客他不可能再改坐類火車嘛。」

台東縣觀光協會理事長潘貴蘭指出：「如果說火車沒有辦法復原的話，也希望可以在航空的票價上面，對觀光客或是在地居民做一些補助。」

花東兩縣的距離是西部六個縣市的距離，現在最省時又能提供最大運能的唯一一條鐵路，可能要中斷1年，等於是把台東往北部的交通便利性打回原點，民眾擔心影響的不只是交通，就怕經濟也會受到影響。