一票難求有解？台北台東三個半小時！

　　花東有著令人稱羨的美景，好山好水一直都受到大家的喜愛與眷顧，但是因為交通疏運的問題，台北到台東最快的自強號也需要四小時又四十分才能到達，如果是搭莒光號更要耗時七個小時又３５分，因此旅客如果沒有三天以上的假期往往只能走馬看花，無法盡興。
　　尤其是花東最大運量的北迴鐵路，不但重點假日車票一開放預售就秒殺，對於在花東的在地居民，也常常為買不到票所苦。一位在台東任公職的乘客就說出了他搭車的真實體驗與感受。

　　監察院更指出：臺鐵局疑因對東部地區鐵路投入資源不足、工程進度落後、場站設施老舊、部分地段單軌需錯車調度等，導致行車速率難以提升、運量不足，造成一票難求、民怨迭生等情事。　

　
　　花東火車票一位難求的窘境有可能改善嗎？交通部東部鐵路改善工程局課長指出：目前鐵路電氣化在台東部分正在進行月眉段截彎取直工程及山里段隧道工程，目前工程順利進行中，預計完成時間為１０２年的年中。鐵路電氣化完成後，台北到台東行車速度將由時速110公里提升至130公里，行車時間將提早半個小時，三個半小時就可由台北到達台東。

　　希望鐵路電氣化後的花東線真的能如預期般的快速，但是可預見得到的是除了普悠瑪號外，其他車種因為停靠站的不同仍需耗費較多的時間，屆時一定友會掀起搶購普悠瑪號的大戰，住在花東的居民，想要樂觀的三個半鐘頭到台北，恐怕還不一定能如願！欖仁居台東關山報導。

The scenic areas of Hualien and Taitung possess an enviable beauty, but due to transportation problems, express trains still take a long four hours forty-five minutes, and the slower passenger trains take a staggering seven and a half hours. This means that one needs at least a three-day vacation in order to enjoy the area. When tickets for Hualien to Taitung’s most popular route, the North-Link Line, go on sale at the weekend, they are usually snatched up in an instant, sadly leaving many Hualien and Taitung residents unable to get a seat.

Is there any way this Hualien to Taitung ticket problem can be improved? Section chief for eastern Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) Railway Reconstruction Bureau informed us that that the expected completion time for the ongoing railway electrification and tunnel engineering project in Taitung was midway through 2013. On completion of the railway’s electrification, train speed on the Taipei to Taitung route will be increased from 110 km/h to 130 km/h, allowing passengers to complete the journey in three and a half hours; a saving of half an hour.
Everyone sincerely hopes that electrification of the Hualien to Taitung line will be able to achieve the anticipated time saving. However, as nobody will wish to travel on the slower passenger trains once these speedy express trains come into service, as soon as tickets became available all chaos is set to break loose, no doubt sadly leaving Hualien and Taitung residents once more deprived of a seat.