Transport board releases report on deadly Taichung MRT accident

Transport board releases report on deadly Taichung MRT accident

2024-06-20

The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board has released its full report on last May’s deadly accident on the Taichung MRT. A moving train slammed into a crane boom that tumbled from a high-rise, resulting in one death and 15 injured. According to the report, the tragedy may have been averted if there were emergency stop buttons on station platforms.

Wu Chi-tsun
Taiwan Transportation Safety Board investigator
When they were adjusting the tower crane, the angle may have been skewed, causing the dismantling crane’s truss structure to buckle and break. Security at Taichung MRT’s Feng-le Park Station noticed the truss intruding on the track. But there wasn’t any equipment on the station platform that could have allowed them to stop the train. The final point is, after the train left Feng-le Park Station, onboard staff also noticed the foreign object and reported it to the control center. Staff also opened the cover of the emergency brake button to press it. But there wasn’t enough time. In the end, the train collided with the truss on the track at a speed of 43.7 kilometers per hour.

The report gave six recommendations for improving safety. It urged the Taichung MRT to install emergency stop buttons on station platforms. It also advised the transport ministry to strengthen rules related to construction near metro and railway systems.

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興富發建案吊臂掉落砸中捷運安會提結論.改善建議

2024-06-20

去年興富發建設的建案工地，因為吊臂掉落，造成台中捷運1死15傷，今天(20日)運安會公布調查報告，針對工程單位、台中市政府、中捷等相關單位，一共提出18項結論以及6點改善建議。

[[運安會鐵道調查組主任調查官吳吉村]]
“(吊臂)旋轉拆除機的方式，去調整塔式起重機的角度，在調整角度的過程當中，可能有斜拉的情形產生，所以導致拆除機的桁架挫曲斷裂。台中捷運豐樂公園站的保全，雖然發現有桁架侵入軌道，但是月台上面沒有任何設備，可以讓他立即停止列車運轉。最後一項就是，事故列車在豐樂公園站離站之後，隨車站務人員雖然有發現軌道上的異物，他也通報行控中心，也試圖開啟蓋板，按下緊急剎車按鈕，但是時間並不足以讓他完成這些程序，最終事故列車，以43.7公里每小時的速度，撞擊到軌道上的桁架。”

包括建議職安署，建立塔式起重機拆除作業指引、交通部修訂捷運及鐵路相關禁建限建法規。另外，因應無人駕駛系統遭到外物入侵，運安會也建議，台中捷運於車站設置緊急停車鈕，以利人員於緊急狀況時可立即執行緊急停車動作。

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