By Wei Ruyu, compiled and reported
During the 2012 Qingming Festival, Taiwan High Speed Rail offered additional services to accommodate travelers taking advantage of weekend holidays and the Qingming break for homecoming, tomb-sweeping, and tourism. Between March 30 and April 5, the operator added a total of 25 southbound and northbound trains, with pre-sales opening on March 3. Passengers who book 15 days (inclusive) prior to their departure date may be eligible for early bird tickets at a 30% discount, while those booking 8 days (inclusive) in advance may get early bird tickets at a 10% discount. Quantities are limited, so the earlier you book, the better your chances.
Starting March 3 (Saturday), passengers can purchase round-trip tickets for the period from March 30 to April 5 in advance through the 24-hour “THSR T Express” mobile app, convenience store ticketing points, the online booking system, the voice reservation system, or at ticket counters and ticket vending machines at THSR stations during business hours.
Pre-sale tickets for the high-speed rail Qingming holiday – the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get a discount. (Photo provided by Taiwan High Speed Rail)
At the same time, THSR reminds the public that during the transport peak period, non-reserved seating will still be available. Passengers holding periodical tickets, return tickets, or EasyCard-linked cards can directly tap in and ride non-reserved seats on any train service during the peak period. However, this does not apply to the limited-time business class upgrade promotions launched by THSR and its partner card-issuing banks and companies, nor to the university student discount or the “Weekday Designated Train Group Ticket Discount (30+ people)” program.
Passengers who have booked and paid via the 24-hour online or voice reservation systems can collect their tickets at station ticket vending machines before departure, or at the “Reserved/Paid Tickets Only Window,” to save time queuing. The Qingming Festival schedule and related information can be found on the THSR website.
Additional train services during the transport peak period:
|
Date |
Number of Additional Services |
Times of Additional Services |
Total Number of Services |
|
March 30 (Friday) |
6 services |
Bidirectional services between 1:00–3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, 8:00–9:00 pm |
146 services |
|
March 31 (Saturday) |
4 services |
Bidirectional services between 9:00–10:00 am and 4:00 pm |
139 services |
|
April 1 (Sunday) |
7 services |
Bidirectional services between 2:00–3:00 pm and 5:00–9:00 pm |
153 services |
|
April 2 (Monday) |
1 service |
Northbound at 6:54 am |
126 services |
|
April 3 (Tuesday) |
Shift 2 |
Southbound at 16:00 and 19:00 |
125 shifts |
|
4th / 4th (Wednesday) |
4 shifts |
Bidirectional between 7:00 and 8:00, and at 15:00 and 19:00 |
127 shifts |
|
4th / 5th (Thursday) |
1 shift |
Northbound at 06:42 |
124 shifts |
|
Total |
25 shifts |
|
940 shifts |
● Extended reading: High-speed rail 700T train model merchandise goes on sale today
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