Nearly 20,000 train passengers were affected by work to repair malfunctioning signals at a railway crossing in Changhua County Thursday, according to state-owned operator Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA).

TRA workers were repairing malfunctioning signal and barriers at a railway crossing in Changhua’s Dacun Township, in between Dacun and Yuanlin stations Thursday, and the work delayed long-haul services on the Western Trunk Line throughout the day, the train operator said in a statement issued that evening.

As of 6 p.m., nearly 20,000 passengers on services running on the TRA’s mainline across the western part of Taiwan were impacted, according to the train operator.

Meanwhile, a TRA employee at Yuanlin Station told CNA that there were delays of up to 40 minutes on Thursday, with the train operator helping affected passengers take alternative train or bus services.

A local resident said there had been problems with the signals and barriers at the crossing for three days, causing confusion among road users.

On Thursday, police were dispatched to direct traffic away from the crossing, after TRA workers identified a cable near Dacun Station as the cause of the problem, which the train operator said would be replaced later that night.

Traffic around Taiwan was busy late Thursday, as people began traveling for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend which starts on Friday.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel