New Refund Policy for Taiwan Railways Takes Effect: Later Refunds Cost More, Up to 20% of Ticket Price

▲ Seats on Taiwan Railways’ Puyuma trains are in high demand. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

By Tsai Wenjun / Staff Reporter

Taiwan Railways will implement new refund regulations starting the 12th of this month. The refund fee will no longer be a flat NT$13, but will instead be charged in stages based on how late the refund is requested, with a maximum of 20% of the ticket price as the fee. Taiwan Railways stated that the goal is to encourage passengers to release unused tickets sooner so more travelers can secure seats.

During holiday periods, even though Taiwan Railways has added extra trains to ease congestion, many passengers still complain about not being able to get tickets. Puyuma trains heading to eastern Taiwan are especially hard to book. The reason, it turns out, is that many people book multiple tickets but fail to cancel the extras in time. Coupled with low refund fees, many wait until the last minute to cancel their extra bookings, leaving seats unavailable for purchase and going to waste.

To make better use of available seats, Taiwan Railways announced the launch of a new refund mechanism starting the 12th, doing away with the flat NT$13 refund fee and introducing a tiered system of refund charges:

Refunds requested 13 or more days before the travel date: NT$10 per ticket
Refunds requested 4–12 days before the travel date: NT$20 per ticket
Refunds requested 2–3 days before the travel date: 10% of the ticket price, with a minimum of NT$20
Refunds requested on the travel date: 20% of the ticket price, with a minimum of NT$20

For example, a one-way Puyuma train ticket from Taipei to Taitung costs NT$783. If you request a refund on the travel date, a NT$157 refund fee will apply. Passengers should pay close attention to the timing of their refunds in the future to avoid excessive losses and to help ensure that those who need tickets can book them successfully.

%继ㄌ?似笔中?鸭扑阋焕辣怼（图／截自台铁官网）