Non-reserved tickets on Taiwan’s high speed rail (HSR) will be available again in November, nearly six months after the sale of such tickets was suspended in mid-May due to a surge in domestic COVID-19 cases.
Non-reserved tickets, which allow people to sit or stand in non-reserved carriages on HSR trains, will go on sale again on Nov. 8, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (???) said at a press briefing Monday.
Typically, there are three carriages for non-reserved seats on HSR trains, which have 12 carriages in total. To prevent overcrowding during rush hour, the number of non-reserved seating carriages will be increased to a maximum of eight once the tickets are available again, Wang said.
There will also be an increase in train services starting Nov. 8, from the current 899 per week to 1,016, which was the number of trips offered before the COVID-19 surge in May, Wang said.
More train services could be added if necessary to prevent crowding, Wang said.
The policy will go into effect on Nov. 8 because HSR tickets can be reserved 29 days in advance, so some tickets in non-reserved seating carriages have already been sold as reserved seating tickets, Wang said.
Also on Monday, Wang said that starting Oct. 19, people will be able to eat food at long-haul bus services stations as long as social distancing can be maintained.
The same applies for outgoing travelers at harbors and airports, though eating is still banned at these locations for international inbound travelers, Wang said.
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced in late September that eating in high speed rail stations was to be allowed again.
However, eating on trains and long haul buses remains prohibited, according to the CECC.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel