TAIWAN's Railway Reconstruction Bureau (RRB) announced on April 22 that it has adopted a preferred route for a direct line between Taipei and the island's East Coast.

TAIWAN High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) has awarded a Yen 2.8bn ($US 27.5m) turnkey contract to Toshiba, Japan, for installation of electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems at three new stations.

TAIWAN's Bureau of High Speed Rail (BHSR) says construction of a southwest extension of the airport rail link between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TTIA) and Zhongli station will commence this month, while testing is now underway on the primary Taipei Railway Station - TTIA section of the much-maligned 51km project.

THE president of Taiwan Mr Ma Ying-jeou and the mayor of Taipei Mr Hau Lung-bin inaugurated Taipei's MRT Xinyi line on November 24, nearly eight years after the start of construction.

TAIWAN High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) has awarded a consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Toshiba the contract for trackwork and electrical & mechanical (E&M) works on the 9.2km extension of the Kaohsiung – Taipei high-speed line from Taipei Railway Station to Nangang.

TAIWAN's Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) approved plans on January 7 for the construction of the first phase of a light rail line serving the Danshui district of New Taipei City, paving the way for construction to begin later this year.

TAIWAN High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) has selected Lloyds Register Rail as independent safety assessor (ISA) for the 3.3km underground extension of the Kaohsiung – Taipei high-speed line to Taipei Nangang station.

Taiwan's first two metro networks have experienced vastly different fortunes since they opened. Yet despite the challenges, the island's major cities still have confidence in urban rail, as Glenn Smith discovers.