 Group tickets |
| Question 1: How do I book group tickets for numbered express trains (“Zi Qiang”, “Chu Kuang” and “Fuhsing”)? |
| Answer: |
I |
The group shall consist of at least eleven persons with the same departure place and destination. |
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II |
Time limit: from the day two months prior to the departure date (subject to postponement in case of weekends or holidays) to the day twenty days prior to the departure date. We treat all requests for booking group tickets in the order in which they are received. Note that the allotted number of group tickets is limited. |
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III |
Time:
(1) 08:30—11:30 and 13:00—16:00, Mon. through Fri.; east district serving center in the morning and No. 34 window in the afternoon, Taipei Railway Station.
(2) Phone number of the ticketing unit of the operation section under the Transportation Department of the Administration: (02) 23899538 or 02-23815226 (extension numners:2538 and 2539). |
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IV |
Procedures: Please complete the advance order (in duplicate; download it from http://www.railway.gov.tw/c/group_tickets.pdf) and prepare one tenth of the total ticket fare as the cash deposit. You can also write your departure date, train number, number of persons, name of the group, the responsible person, the coordinator and your phone number, etc on a piece of paper, which must carry seals of your company and the company head. |
| Question 2: |
Can I increase or decrease the number of persons after I have bought group tickets for numbered express trains (“Zi Qiang”, “Chu Kuang” and “Fuhsing”)? |
| Answer: |
To increase the number of persons, you shall notify us no later than twenty days prior to the departure date. If you want to decrease the number of persons, the cash deposit paid will be confiscated. In addition, in the case of decreasing the number of persons, you shall notify the ticket seller when buying tickets. When decreasing the number of persons after tickets have been sold, you shall pay twenty percent of the ticket fare as the service charge. |
| Question 3: |
Can I cancel my booking of tickets for numbered express trains (“Zi Qiang”, “Chu Kuang” and “Fuhsing”)? |
| Answer: |
You can. But your cash deposit will be confiscated. |
| Question 4: Can I return group tickets for numbered express trains? |
| Answer: |
You can, but you must return group tickets no later than two hours prior to the departure time. In addition, only one ticket returning is permitted. We will charge twenty percent of the ticket fare as the service charge. If the total number of persons in the group is less than eleven after ticket returning, you have to return all of your group tickets and buy tickets once again. |
| Question 5: Why is the deadline for booking group tickets for numbered express trains twenty days prior to the departure date? |
| Answer: |
In response to the transmission of information about seats by voice and online booking systems, seats for group tickets shall be reserved before the said information arrives. Once the information is sent to the booking systems, booking for group tickets can no longer be accepted. |
| Question 6: Do you accept booking of group tickets for the Zi Qiang train during the Spring Festival or on Tomb-Sweeping Day? |
| Answer: |
During the Spring Festival or on Tomb-Sweeping Day, the number of passengers taking the Zi Qiang train is very large. For the convenience of the majority of passengers, we do not accept booking of group tickets for this train. |
| Question 7: Can we book group tickets for numbered express trains by mail? |
| Answer: |
Because the mail delivery is relatively slow and the cash deposit must be paid, passengers shall go to the railway station to book tickets. |
| Question 8: Do you give preferential treatment regarding the buying of group tickets for numbered express trains? |
| Answer: |
We do not give preferential treatment regarding the buying of group tickets for numbered express trains, but you can buy special tickets for old people and children in your group. |
| Question 9: How are special trains and saloon cars charged? How do I book tickets for them? |
| Answer: |
I |
You can book tickets for special trains and saloon cars in the same way as you book group tickets for numbered express trains. |
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II |
The traveling distance of the special train shall be at least 100 kilometers. The number of cars (“Chu Kuang”; 252 seats) shall be at least 5. Besides the charge for renting the special train, you shall pay ninety-one NT dollars for each kilometer (excluding taxes).
Accounting mode: ticket fare (full fare × the number of seats in the train) + (charges for the special train: ninety-one NT dollars × the traveling distance × 1.05, including the business tax). |
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III |
The traveling distance of the saloon car shall be at least 100 kilometers. The saloon car can only hook up to “Chu Kuang” or “Fuhsing” train. The “Zi Qiang” train cannot be connected to over-line trains. Accounting mode: full fare for “Chu Kuang” × 80% (round off) × 52. The saloon car can only hold 30 passengers. Overload is not allowed and tickets shall be bought for other persons. |
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| Luggage transportation |
| Question1： |
Why cannot passengers take pet animals with them when traveling by train? Could you tell me about regulations of the Administration on taking pet animals when traveling by train? |
| Answer: |
I |
The Administration prohibits passengers from taking pet animals with them when they take numbered express trains (including electric trains) with the aim of ensuring a good train car environment and preventing cries and foreign scents of animals from affecting other passengers and the environment of train cars. |
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II |
When taking ordinary passenger express trains, passengers may take with them pet animals weighing two kilograms or less free of charge, provided that the animal is shut in a sturdy cage or container and animal wastes cannot leak out from the cage or container. However, passengers cannot take pet animals when taking express trains with air conditioning systems such as electric trains and the “Fuhsing” train. |
| Question 2: |
Can freight cars for parking bicycles hook up to passenger trains, to provide convenience to passengers who travel on weekends |
| Answer: |
The structure of freight cars is different from that of passenger cars. In addition, there are other limitations such as traveling speed, service conditions, and grouping of trains. And therefore, it is the regulation of the Administration that freight cars cannot be hooked to passenger trains. However, the passenger can have his bicycle registered at the luggage room of the railway station and the bicycle will be carried in the luggage car of the same train. |
| Traveling |
| Question 1: Could you provide me with some information about traveling around by train? |
| Answer: |
There are two ways for passengers to take our sightseeing trains: |
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 Self-guided tour (the passenger books by himself)
Please log on to http://railway.hinet.net/ for information about booking. |
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Package tour |
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 Taipei—Hualien; Please call Hualien Sightseeing Association; 03-8566519
Taipei—Hualien; Please call the Joint Operation Center for Circle Island Traveling by Train; 0800-230456(the whole district) 0800-030456(the north district)
Taipei—Zhi Ben (“Princess Warm Spring”); Please call the Joint Operation Center for Circle Island Traveling by Train; 0800-230456(the whole district) 0800-030456(the north district)
Taipei—Fang Liao (“Keng Ding Star”); Please call the Joint Operation Center for Circle Island Traveling by Train; 0800-230456(the whole district) 0800-030456(the north district)
Please log on to the website of the Joint Operation Center for Circle Island Traveling by Train (http://www.ezrail.com.tw) for detailed information.
For information about circle island sightseeing trains (“Taiwan Island Star”), please call our catering and traveling department (phone number: (02)2311-6482 or (02)2381-5226; extension number: 2282) or call ezTravel (http://www.eztravel.com.tw/). |
| Question 2: Why do sightseeing trains start off from Taipei? |
| Answer: |
Sightseeing trains of the Administration are refitted from passenger trains. Considering demands of passenger transportation in normal times and during holidays, the number of passenger trains available for refitting is limited. And therefore, all sightseeing trains start off from Taipei. In response to Executive Yuan's program of doubling the number of sightseers by 2008, and in order to promote the sightseeing industry in eastern Taiwan, the Administration started the sightseeing train from Kaohsiung to Tai Tung (“Nan-hui Star”) from 15 August 2003 (a round trip everyday; became a group train from 1 March, 2005), and started the circle island sightseeing train (“Taiwan Island Star”) from 30 October, 2004. |
| Question 3: Could you tell me some information about “island-round rail pass”? |
| Answer: |
In response to the government's policy of two days off weekly and in order to advocate national travel and promote the development of traveling by train, the Administration began to issue “island-round rail pass” from 1 March, 1998. The full fare is eight-five percent of the ticket fare of “Zi Qiang” train, namely 1,706 NT$ (the half fare is 853 NT$). The whole journey is divided into seven parts and passengers can take trains of all grades. After purchasing, the passenger must begin to use it within 60 days. After the first use, the ticket is valid within 15 days (including the day of the first use). |
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