Eco-friendly trains in Taiwan

At 300 km / h, the shiny orange-and-white train starts operating in Taiwan on Jan. 5, marking the beginning of the island's 23rd revolution in transportation. million people.

This super-speed train connects cities and towns along the western corridor, promising to change the lives of more than 90% of Taiwan's population. After a quarter of a century of planning and fabrication, this system is expected to help tackle congestion on highways while minimizing the air pollution caused by vehicle smoke. For some urban planners and environmental managers, this project is a model that helps Asian countries control imported oil, limit emissions to warming the Earth and raise High standard of living for the majority of people towards sustainable for the environment.

High-speed trains.
(Photo: AFP, baocantho)

Those who go on full passenger trains consume only 1/6 of the energy they use if drive cars alone, and created only 1/9 the carbon dioxide (CO _2), the current major cause Earth is warming up. Passengers also spend more than half their energy and release one-quarter of their CO ₂ emissions compared to bus riders. The transport system has an investment of $ 15 billion, with a capacity of 900 people. Using elevated railways instead of diesel-powered locomotives, the train fleet currently consists of 19 aircraft per day operating on many routes running from Taipei to Kaohsiung, the second largest city in the south.

All towns and cities located along the route have separate stations and stations. The distance from Taipei to Kaohsiung is 345 km and trains run about 90 minutes. Large terminals like airport pick-ups were built on the outskirts of each city along the route. Rapid trains do not use existing rails but run on specially designed road systems 18 meters above the ground to avoid crossing roads for other vehicles. The starting price for one way ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung will be $ 44 - equivalent to two-thirds of the normal fare. The Taiwanese high-speed rail company hopes the rail system will attract 150,000 passengers a day.

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