Taiwan's High-Speed Train Debuts

"The train is history in the making, and I can't resist being present when history happens," said 51-year-old housewife Liu Wen-ying before boarding.

Twenty years in the making, the $15 billion system represents a colossal effort to provide a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly transport option for Taiwan's 23 million people.

The main contractor for the project was Taiwan Shinkansen Corp., a consortium of seven Japanese companies, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries which made the rail cars. The communications system comes from U.S.-based Motorola.

Friday's initial service made the 216-mile journey to the southern city of Kaohsiung in the scheduled time of 90 minutes — two-and-a-half hours faster than the usual train service on that route.

Future services should take half an hour longer, allowing for seven stops along the way.

But in the final countdown, some of the problems that have dogged the system for more than a decade were still apparent.

There were technical glitches Tuesday when the tickets, offered at half-price for a 15-day period, went on sale. Cable TV channels showed angry buyers complaining that they were unable to use credit cards and that the ticket machines gave them the wrong change.

Chairwoman Nita Ing of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp., the operator of the new system, apologized for the setback.

"We are not satisfied with the way things are going," she said. "But the situation will improve day by day."

The project has suffered numerous delays and concerns have been raised about its safety standards.

Construction began in 2000, aiming for an October 2005 launch date, but delays in the project's core electrical systems forced postponement for a year.

The service was further held up after the operator failed to obtain a safety certification from independent verification and validation firm Lloyd's Register. The certification was eventually obtained on Nov. 20.

The company also canceled a Dec. 7 opening ceremony after the government said further tests were needed before it could launch. No new date for an official ceremony has been announced.

When full service begins, Taiwan's four domestic airlines are expected to be the main casualty, because the rail system will bring the vast majority of Taiwanese no further than a two-hour train ride from Taipei.

To try to soften the blow, the airlines have been either purchasing rail equity, or spreading their wings by adding international routes.