Taiwan High Speed Rail Shares its Efforts in Combating COVID-19

TAIPEI,May 6,2020 -- COVID-19 sweeps across the world while Taiwan earns recognition due to outstanding prevention. With an area of only 36,000 square kilometers,Taiwan not only inhabits a population of up to 23 million,it is also the sixthregion in the world to build a whole new high-speed line which gives fast and convenient way to transportation.

Taiwan High Speed Rail’s efforts in Combating COVID-19

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC),which has been in operation since 2007,is regarded by Taiwanese as a practitioner of "one-day life circle". Not only does the route cover 90% of Taiwan's population,it can travel between Taipei and Kaohsiung,the two largest cities in the north and south of Taiwan,in as short as 90 minutes. How did THSRC,which originally allowed Taiwanese to be more closely connected,avoid the risk of human infection through various epidemic prevention measures?

Back to January 21,when the first confirmed case appeared in Taiwan,THSRC immediately urged passengers to wear masks as long as they felt unwell; a few days later,the frontline service staffs also began to wear masks and took temperature before going on duty. That was during the Lunar New Year period,THSRC served nearly 300,000 passengers every day and immediately began preparations for epidemic prevention,procurement of epidemic prevention materials,and with the assistance of the government obtained sufficient masks for the frontline service staffs to ensure the health and safety of passengers.

In February,the pandemic spread rapidly in mainland China and Asia. THSRC shouldered the responsibility of Taiwan's intercity transportation service. In addition to the cleaning and disinfection measures of stations and trains,it also began to prevent overcrowded circumstance. During the Spring Festival holiday,Labor Day,and Mother's Day,THSRC has announced the implementation of selling tickets only for reserved seats and accordingly the non-reserved seats were cancelled for all trains during the long holiday period. That decision did make inconveniences to passengers and losses to THSRC,but that measure in conjunction with Taiwan's "advance deployment" has indeed effectively reduced the risk of people being over-exposed in mass transportation.

After March,as the pandemic spread to the world,people returning to Taiwan caused a new wave of confirmed cases in Taiwan,and THSRC also immediately launched more strict anti-pandemic measures. John Chen,Executive Vice President of THSRC: "From April 1st,all passengers entering the station will need to measure their body temperature and wear masks throughout the journey; if the body temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees,they will be denied boarding." In early March,the stations began to install infrared temperature measuring instruments aiming to start swift temperature measurements before the Spring Festival holiday in April. The stations are also widely equipped with disinfectant alcohol on passenger moving lines and closed drinking fountains to strengthen pandemic prevention.

Meal boxes,beverages,food,and evenautomated vending machines that have always been popular with passengers have been discontinued for pandemic prevention; hot beverages such as coffee and black tea,and various newspapers and magazines are no longer available,aiming to reduce the risk of infection caused by passenger contact; and more importantly,THSRC will disinfect carriages before and after operation at terminal. If a confirmed case has boarded the train,THSRC will carry out "thorough cleaning" against the station lines,and the carriages of the train which the passenger goes through,including pulling the entire train back to the base to disinfect the train with mechanical spray,wiping and disinfecting the passenger-accessible equipment such as table handrails,and replacing the cloth covers of the seat and even the air filters.

On the other hand,the pandemic also caused difficulties in the operation of station shops,so THSRC announced that they would cooperate with the government and merchants to fight the pandemic and work together to save the economy. Johnson Sun,Business Senior Vice President and Spokesperson of THSRC: "The plan for the progressive rent reduction of station shops is based on the monthly traffic volume of the entire line in the same period last year. This policy will recall back to February 1st."

THSRC is regarded as Taiwan's transportation artery,has made the Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-Lung praises it as a role model for pandemic prevention. This is enough to explain why THSRC has become an important and stable tool of transportation for many commuters,connecting the north and south by several reassuring disinfecting action.

Just like the chairman of THSRC Y. C. Chiang's call to THSRC employees: "Because THSRC is responsible for Taiwan's main transportation,we should be more risk-aware,not only cancel all foreign official travel,but also persuade employees to suspend all private travel abroad. Don't go to crowded places even you stay in Taiwan. All because of this sense of risk that makes THSRC a stabilizing force in the pandemic."

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