Taiwan Debuts High-Speed Rail System

Taiwan's long-delayed high-speed rail system debuted Friday, with its 12-car caravan of sleek orange and white coaches gliding out of a suburban Taipei station right on time at 7 a.m.

"The train is history in the making, and I can't resist being present when history happens," said 51-year-old housewife Liu Wen-ying before boarding.

Twenty years in the making, the $15 billion system represents a colossal effort to provide a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly transport option for Taiwan's 23 million people.

Friday's initial service made the 216-mile journey to the southern city of Kaohsiung in the scheduled time of 90 minutes — two-and-a-half hours faster than the usual train service on route.

Future services — which will make seven stops along the way instead of just one in the central city of Taichung — should take half an hour longer.

But in the final countdown to launch, some of the problems that have dogged the system for more than a decade were still apparent.

There were technical glitches Tuesday when the tickets — offered at half-price for a 15-day period — went on sale. Cable TV channels showed angry buyers complaining that they were unable to use credit cards, and that the ticket machines gave them the wrong change.

Chairwoman Nita Ing of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp., the operator of the new system, apologized for the setback.

"We are not satisfied with the way things are going," she said. "But the situation will improve day by day."

The project has suffered numerous delays and concerns have been raised about its safety standards.

Construction began in 2000, aiming for an October 2005 launch date, but delays in the project's core electrical systems forced a postponement to October 2006.

The service was further held up after the operator failed to obtain a safety certification from independent verification and validation firm Lloyd's Register. The certification was eventually obtained on Nov. 20.

The company also canceled a Dec. 7 opening ceremony after the government said further tests were needed before it could launch. No new date for an official ceremony has been announced so far.

When full service begins, Taiwan's four domestic airlines are expected to be the main casualty, because the rail system will bring the vast majority of Taiwanese no further than a two-hour train ride from Taipei, significantly reducing the cachet of speedy air travel.

To try to soften the project's impact, the airlines have been either purchasing rail equity, or spreading their wings by adding international routes.