THSRC won for its disaster warning, passenger service and ticketing systems, as well as its provision of integrated i-traveling information for passengers.
“Thanks to our disaster warning system, no lives were lost in accidents caused by earthquakes and typhoons,” a THSRC official said. “In addition, our passenger and ticketing systems, as well as the i-traveling service, helped ensure customers enjoy seamless connections with other transportation networks and easy access to tourism resources along the high-speed rail.”
The operator of Taiwan’s 348.5-kilometer high-speed rail line running north-south from Taipei to Kaohsiung cities in the west of the country beat out two rivals from Australia and Hong Kong to claim the honor. The affordable and convenient service can reach speeds of up to 300 kph.
This is the second time a Taiwan company has achieved the ITS honor. Last year, Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co. won for its homegrown smart electronic toll collection system launched in 2006 as an optional payment method utilizing infrared onboard units.
THSRC will receive the award at the ITS World Congress staged in Australia this year in mid-October. The annual event is attended by representatives of ITS organizations from the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe and the U.S. The award is given by Japan-based Intelligent Transport Systems Asia-Pacific—a nonprofit organization promoting the development and deployment of advanced technologies to deliver safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable transport.
The concept of smart transport systems has attracted growing attention nationwide since the establishment of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Taiwan in 1998. Both THSRC and Far Eastern are members of ITS Taiwan.
Promoting smart transport capitalizing on Taiwan’s strengths in information and communication technologies was a plank in President Tsai Ing-wen’s campaign platform, and is now a key policy of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
THSRC began work on the high-speed rail in 2000 and commenced operations in January 2007. About 50.5 million trips were made on the THR last year, up from 48 million in 2014. As of year-end 2015, more than 347 million trips have been made on the rail, which is a key driver of Taiwan’s economic development. (OC-E)
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