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  #21  
Old Posted Apr 10, 2006, 1:58 AM
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this one is amazing!

****taiwayne. welcome****
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  #22  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2006, 11:10 AM
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MOTC sticks to October start-up for high-speed rail operations
By Su Chueh-yu

Minister of Transportation & Communications Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪) said on Tuesday that test runs of the high-speed railway will open -- at least between the southern port city of Kaohsiung and Banqiao City in Taipei County -- by the end of October, or she will resign to take responsibility.

She said the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp. has been conducting test runs recently and the April 17 results shows that the train can run smoothly between Kaohsiung and Taoyuan.

Kuo said that while the target date for the opening of the line is the end of October, there is no guarantee that a "bottleneck" problem between Taipei and Banqiao can be sorted out in time.

The problem is a 15-kilometer stretch between Taipei and Banqiao that is a relatively "new" stretch of railway line compared to the rest of the 345 kilometer-long railway, connecting Taipei to Kaohsiung, which was already in place. This problem might cause failure to meet the October deadline. When complete, the system is expected to cut rail travel time between Taipei and Kaohsiung to less than two hours.

MOTC High Speed Rail Bureau Deputy Chief J.H. Pang said on Tuesday afternoon that the THSRC was having some difficulties with the Taipei-Banqiao section, but "had not given up" on the construction in that section.

Pang said the project was 94.49 percent complete, but the construction on the Taipei-Banciao section was two months behind schedule.

The THSRC had not been able to proceed with the work on the electrical equipment and the traffic signals in that section because the line is still being used by other trains, Pang explained.

"It's like tailoring a piece of clothing while you are wearing it," Pang said.

Pang said he was optimistic the time could be made up because the construction is underground and would not be affected by bad weather. He said he believes the THSRC could complete the construction within three months after the October deadline, but if it does not, it has drawn up a "Plan B" to deal with potentially large passenger flows at Taipei station.

"Since the Blue Line (on the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System) is expected to extend to Banqiao station by the end of August, passengers who want to take the high speed rail could make connections via the MRT or the regular railway," Pang said.

Pang said that after the launch of the high speed rail, trains on that stretch of rail would not be allowed to exceed 120 kilometers per hour due to the complexities of the underground construction on the Taipei-Banqiao section.

The THSRC said the trains currently being tested were running at 300 kilometers per hour between Kaohsiung station and a station near Shulin City, Taipei County, as of Tuesday.

Source:Taiwan News(2006/04/19 14:04:04)
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  #23  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2006, 7:39 AM
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this is really stupid. why is this problem being addressed now? wouldnt they knew about this Banqiao-Taipei bottleneck problem a long time ago...??????
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  #24  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2006, 9:38 PM
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That's wonderful! How can Taiwan afford all these high-speed trains? there is enough demand for these on such a small island?
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  #25  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2006, 10:18 PM
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It will compete with domestic flight industry in providing a major link between the large cities of the north and south.
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  #26  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2006, 10:53 PM
laikuanchi laikuanchi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by graupner
That's wonderful! How can Taiwan afford all these high-speed trains? there is enough demand for these on such a small island?
North-South InterCity transportation volume is incredibly high in Taiwan. There are already 2 N-S highways, but still traffic jam everyday.
There are currently 30+ express/semi-express trains from Taipei to Kaohsiung. (excluding the ones having terminal stops in between).
Thousands of long-distance buses.
42 one way Taipei-Kaohsiung flights
16 one way Taipei-Tainan flights
10 one way Taipei-Chiayi flights
This should give you a feel about the demand of high-speed trains in Taiwan.
THSR is estimated to run 5 minutes a train in peak hours.

As to the question of affordability, it's the world's largest BOT project, the company is also making the returns by peripheral development such as station area leasing, shopping mall building, etc... The ticket itself isn't expensive, only about 40USD from Taipei-Kaohsiung so I'm not sure how fast they can get back the money invested.
To me it's amazing that with 40USD you can travel 350km in 1hr20min. This distance is comparable to NY-BOS which costs you 100+USD on acela "express" but takes you 3hr30min. Amtrak is just too big of a monopoly sucking in the money but providing shitty service.
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  #27  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2006, 11:28 PM
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Does the BOT involve government funding? Or do they aim to break even before the government takes it back?
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  #28  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2006, 2:05 AM
laikuanchi laikuanchi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superchan7
Does the BOT involve government funding? Or do they aim to break even before the government takes it back?
The total funding amounts to be greater than 510,000,000,000 NT or ~16 billion USD.
Government is involved for about 1/3 of that amount. The rest is managed by debt holders like big corporations and banks. They actually aim to earn profit before the government takes it back in 35 years.
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  #29  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2006, 3:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laikuanchi
The total funding amounts to be greater than 510,000,000,000 NT or ~16 billion USD.
Government is involved for about 1/3 of that amount. The rest is managed by debt holders like big corporations and banks. They actually aim to earn profit before the government takes it back in 35 years.
The government stake in the project is a lot more than 1/3 ....... aside from being the largest THSRC investor, the man is also the guarantor for the massive syndicated loans. The total investment of private sector investors amounts to less than fifteen percent (NT$46 billion) of the the project's entire budget.
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  #30  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2006, 3:42 AM
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That is F_cking killer. I always loved there railways. There always thinking outside the box. Thanks for the info/pics.
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  #31  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2006, 7:07 PM
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Taipei County drops BOT model for railway project

POLICY FLIP-FLOP: In response to the Kaohsiung MRT corruption scandal, the Taipei County government has decided to build, own and operate its own belt railway

CNA , TAIPEI
Saturday, Apr 22, 2006,

Advertising Taipei County's belt line rapid transit railway project will no longer follow the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model in view of the corruption scandal involving the Kaohsiung mass rapid transit (MRT) railway project, Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) said yesterday.
Chou told a press conference that the county government has decided to build, own and operate its own MRT system after seeing how the BOT model adopted by the Kaohsiung City Government for its MRT railway project was used for alleged illegal profiteering by officials working in collusion with contractors.

Another reason for the policy reversal is that the county government wants to ensure the quality of the construction project and give Taipei County residents a safe MRT system, he said.

Chou said the central government had approved the route of the belt line for the first stage of the project and that the county government's reversal of its policy would not affect the progress of the construction.

Chou acknowledged that the change would cause the budget to rise by NT$16 billion (US$495.4 million), of which the county government hopes that NT$3.1 billion can come from a central government subsidy.

As for the remaining NT$12.9 billion, the county government estimates that benefits accruing from land development projects surrounding the belt line will total NT$13.5 billion within 12 years.

Chou urged the central government to support the Taipei County Government with additional funds. He said that if the central government denied his request, he would appeal to the Legislative Yuan for help.

The county government will work out a new budget plan and a detailed feasibility analysis, Chou said, adding that the entire project was expected to be completed in 2013
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  #32  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2006, 5:13 AM
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TRA suspends tenders after possible bid-rigging
By Chang Ling-yin

The Taiwan Railway Administration announced on Sunday that it had suspended three tenders valued at NT$17 billion to purchase railroad cars after allegations surfaced that one of its engineers was involved in bid-rigging a number of railway purchases.

TRA engineer Yu Chang-shou, who has been under intense investigation since last Thursday, is suspected of leaking the floor prices of railway purchasing projects to potential contractors in return for benefits or being entertained.

Following a request by Administrative Deputy Transportation Minister Ho Nuan-hsuan to re-examine all of its current bidding projects, and under pressure after the corruption revelations, the Railway Administration decided to suspend the three major tenders.

TRA deputy chief Huang Min-ren indicated at a press conference on Sunday that to ensure the integrity of the tenders, his agency had decided to suspend the projects until all related bidding documents were carefully reviewed.

One local newspaper said the purchasing deal may be frozen for at least six months to allow the agency the time to clear the record, which is expected to complicate the fierce battle between Japanese and Korean firms vying for the contracts.

The Railway Administration is looking to purchase 316 railway electric multiple units (EMUs), valued at approximately NT$11.6 billion, and 20 diesel-electric locomotives and 30 electric locomotives worth about NT$6 billion.

According to one local newspaper, the railway administration's Deputy Director-General Chen Feng-nan indicated that after reviewing all major purchasing projects conducted over the past two years, the TRA had identified 16 cases that may have been tainted by bid-rigging, including 13 that had already been awarded. The remaining three, for the railways cars and locomotives, would be suspended at once.

Huang stressed that nothing improper had been found in these tenders to date, but said the deals were so significant that the TRA had to review all related bidding documents before moving forward.

The TRA further emphasized and promised that the suspension of the three purchasing projects would not adversely affect rail services.

The TRA pointed out that the main purpose of purchasing the 316 EMUs was to replace aging Chu-kuang Express and Fu-Hsing Express cars to provide faster and more comfortable trips for railway passengers.

With the tenders for the new cars and locomotives on hold, the TRA would thoroughly maintain currently operating Chu-kuang and Fu-Hsing express trains to make sure they last as long as possible, Huang said.

Some observers have also questioned whether the agency's purchasing staff should continue to be responsible for the agency's big buys in the wake of the corruption allegations.

Huang said the TRA is considering replacing them to weed out any other individuals who might have contributed to the bid-rigging, but he said no moves would be made until the agency had concluded its own investigation into the corruption scandal.
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  #33  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2006, 6:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taiwan ren
TRA suspends tenders after possible bid-rigging
By Chang Ling-yin

The Taiwan Railway Administration announced on Sunday that it had suspended three tenders valued at NT$17 billion to purchase railroad cars after allegations surfaced that one of its engineers was involved in bid-rigging a number of railway purchases.

TRA engineer Yu Chang-shou, who has been under intense investigation since last Thursday, is suspected of leaking the floor prices of railway purchasing projects to potential contractors in return for benefits or being entertained.

Following a request by Administrative Deputy Transportation Minister Ho Nuan-hsuan to re-examine all of its current bidding projects, and under pressure after the corruption revelations, the Railway Administration decided to suspend the three major tenders.

TRA deputy chief Huang Min-ren indicated at a press conference on Sunday that to ensure the integrity of the tenders, his agency had decided to suspend the projects until all related bidding documents were carefully reviewed.

One local newspaper said the purchasing deal may be frozen for at least six months to allow the agency the time to clear the record, which is expected to complicate the fierce battle between Japanese and Korean firms vying for the contracts.

The Railway Administration is looking to purchase 316 railway electric multiple units (EMUs), valued at approximately NT$11.6 billion, and 20 diesel-electric locomotives and 30 electric locomotives worth about NT$6 billion.

According to one local newspaper, the railway administration's Deputy Director-General Chen Feng-nan indicated that after reviewing all major purchasing projects conducted over the past two years, the TRA had identified 16 cases that may have been tainted by bid-rigging, including 13 that had already been awarded. The remaining three, for the railways cars and locomotives, would be suspended at once.

Huang stressed that nothing improper had been found in these tenders to date, but said the deals were so significant that the TRA had to review all related bidding documents before moving forward.

The TRA further emphasized and promised that the suspension of the three purchasing projects would not adversely affect rail services.

The TRA pointed out that the main purpose of purchasing the 316 EMUs was to replace aging Chu-kuang Express and Fu-Hsing Express cars to provide faster and more comfortable trips for railway passengers.

With the tenders for the new cars and locomotives on hold, the TRA would thoroughly maintain currently operating Chu-kuang and Fu-Hsing express trains to make sure they last as long as possible, Huang said.

Some observers have also questioned whether the agency's purchasing staff should continue to be responsible for the agency's big buys in the wake of the corruption allegations.

Huang said the TRA is considering replacing them to weed out any other individuals who might have contributed to the bid-rigging, but he said no moves would be made until the agency had concluded its own investigation into the corruption scandal.
Yeah, so I've read. Horrible news indeed!
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  #34  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2006, 6:29 AM
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Last edited by kidd; Apr 25, 2006 at 6:59 AM.
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  #35  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2006, 3:59 PM
laikuanchi laikuanchi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidd

The pride of Taiwan & Japan!!
haha
why's the flag inverted left to right?
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  #36  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2006, 12:41 AM
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haha... with the japanese flag.
no matter which way you put it. all look the same.
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  #37  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2006, 5:14 AM
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sorry..guys, I am moving across the country from east coast to Chicago. My new job at the hospital starts on May 8th. Hence, I am now busy packing and looking for apt. Check back after I am settled! later~
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  #38  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2006, 6:45 AM
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Originally Posted by kidd
sorry..guys, I am moving across the country from east coast to Chicago. My new job at the hospital starts on May 8th. Hence, I am now busy packing and looking for apt. Check back after I am settled! later~
I lived in Chicago for 5 years. it is a really beautiful city but the weather really sucks there. go look for apt in lakeview area or gold coast area.
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  #39  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2006, 6:56 AM
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Originally Posted by 阿jase_
I lived in Chicago for 5 years. it is a really beautiful city but the weather really sucks there. go look for apt in lakeview area or gold coast area.
For REAL?! wow! When was that? Still got good contact there? I only have 2 contacts there now.......=.=" Private Message me if you got contacts! IF not, it's ok. I can manage!

My hospital is affiliated with University of Chicago..Hence, I am now desperately trying to find "legit" Safe & not so ghetto apt. Rent ~$1,000 max. a month including parking spot. I need to find a place to live between 50s & 80s streets!

I decided to return to Midwest after last 3 yrs in the East Coast. Coz.. I grew up in Midwest and attended two Big Ten Universities.
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  #40  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2006, 7:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidd
For REAL?! wow! When was that? Still got good contact there? I only have 2 contacts there now.......=.=" Private Message me if you got contacts! IF not, it's ok. I can manage!

My hospital is affiliated with University of Chicago..Hence, I am now desperately trying to find "legit" Safe & not so ghetto apt. Rent ~$1,000 max. a month including parking spot. I need to find a place to live between 50s & 80s streets!

I decided to return to Midwest after last 3 yrs in the East Coast. Coz.. I grew up in Midwest and attended two Big Ten Universities.
I lived in Chicago during 1999-2004. Where in Midwest did u grow up? Chicago?

The campus of the university is surrounded by ghetto neighbourhoods where have tons of shabby apartments. It is also considered as one of dangerous areas at night. Therefore, I would suggest you to live in the north because students who are attending the university all live in the north side of Chicago.
The rents in the north side will be a little bit higher though.

No, I have no contacts there anymore but you can contact free apartment rental agency to help you find an apartment that fits your requirements and needs. I asked them to help me find my apartment when living in Chicago. they have a really nice service and I like it a lot. Below is the info.

Abbey Schrager
The Apartment People
3121 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
USA
Tel: 773 248 8800
http://www.bizwiz.com/ezcommerce/theapartmentpeople.htm
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