Taiwan quake disrupts Xiamen high-speed rail services

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at Xiamen Railway Station on the mainland following yesterday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Hualien in Taiwan.

High-speed rail services were cancelled or delayed as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers. 

Taiwan authorities said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the island in at least 25 years, with a depth of 15.5km. It was also felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in Fujian province on the mainland, according to Chinese state media.

Yu Shihuan, a passenger at Xiamen Railway Station told TYR News that it was the first time he had felt an earthquake. “My phone beeped warning me of the earthquake. I thought it was only an alarm. It was not until I felt my chair shook that I realized it was an earthquake. ” Yu said“I grabbed my friends, who were about to run out of the station to stay in a corner because I know it is only after the first strong wave that we can escape,”

The Dispatching Director of Xiamen Railway Station, Zhao Ping, said high-speed trains were not allowed to set off from Xiamen. More than 30 services were suspended. Only a small number  of trains could go north. 

“We have to check the quality of some of our earthquake-affected railways to ensure they are suitable for letting the high-speed railway trains pass. The earthquake can crack tracks.” said Huang Shuying, technical engineer of Xiamen Railway Station.

The station was in chaos as the information on the station’s big screen was confusing.Wong Xi, a passenger who arrived at the station in the morning, said he had been waiting for more than seven hours but was still not able to leave. 

“The train I was about to board passed through Xiamen. The big screen said the train was delayed, but when I went to the ticket counter to inquire, the staff told me the train had already left,” said Wong. 

Xiamen Railway Authorities said that most trains would be delayed more than three hours. Trains scheduled to depart at night would also be disrupted. 

At around 6 pm, railway services gradually resumed with limitations. Passengers tried to cross the turnstiles to board trains Some argued with station staff about why their trains were still out of service.  

“We have made all our efforts to check and fix tracks to allow normal operations as early as possible,” said Huang. “But this takes time, so we are calling all our passengers to stay calm and patient for their safety and well-being. ”