Article
The new stations are widely expected to give a much-needed boost to local economies and tourism in northern and central Taiwan. But the struggling railway operator remains under intense pressure to put its finances back on track.
On Dec. 1, THSR's Miaoli Station opened its doors to the public in Miaoli County. A 68-year-old man who lives in Taipei but is originally from the county, stepped off a train and onto the platform. The trip used to take about an hour and a half by car, but today it took roughly 45 minutes, he said. "Transportation is easier now, so I'd consider moving back here," he added.
Taiwan's high-speed railway, which opened in 2007, was Japan's first sale of shinkansen bullet train technology overseas. The line connects Taipei in the north to Zuoying, in the southern city of Kaohsiung, in as little as 90 minutes. Changhua and Yunlin stations, in the eponymous counties in central Taiwan, opened the same day, bringing the number of THSR stations to 11.
The bullet train previously had no stops in these three counties, which slowed their development. "Miaoli County retains the culture of the Hakka ethnic group and has hot spring resorts. I expect more tourists to come," said the head of Touwu township in the county.
Having transport links is good for businesses. Yunlin Station is located near Taiwan's Formosa Plastics' petrochemical complex. It takes about 80 minutes to drive from the plant to Taichung Station in the city of the same name. "It now takes only about 40 minutes from Yunlin Station, making business trips and negotiations more convenient," said an official with Formosa Plastics' PR department.
Changhua County is also courting companies. At the official opening of Changhua Station, Wei Ming-ku, head of the Changhua County government said: "Facebook has sounded us out about a possible purchase of land for a data center," highlighting the benefits the new station may bring.
In December, THSR launched several sales campaigns, including a two-for-one deal on advance-purchase tickets to the new stations. The promotions helped push the number of daily passengers to 159,000 in December, an increase of 16% compared with the daily average between January and November.
Uphill climb
Not everything is rolling smoothly for the company, however. THSR got its start as a consortium of general contractors and other Taiwanese companies. The company was founded to build and operate the railway for 35 years. After that, the plan was to turn over operations to Taiwanese authorities under a build-operate-transfer scheme.
Previous article:
Comelec first division dismisses DQ cases vs Dutert (10 years ago)
Next article:
Renewed fighting feared Without BBL, MILF might go to war again – Sulu solon (10 years ago)
About the game:
USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!
In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.
Work for the good of your country and see it rise to an empire.
Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.
In E-Sim, international wars are nothing out of the ordinary.
Become an influential politician.
The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.
You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.
The international war.
The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).
At the auction you can sell or buy your dream inventory.
E-Sim is a unique browser game. It's creators ensured realistic representation of the mechanisms present in the real world and gave all power to the players who shape the image of the virtual Earth according to their own. So come and join them and help your country achieve its full potential.
Invest, produce and sell - be an entrepreneur in E-Sim.
Take part in numerous events for the E-Sim community.
