Alpine railway services and festivals suspended as Typhoon Gaemi approaches

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) As Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan from the southeast, train and ferry services in the Alps and festivals across the country are being suspended as a precautionary measure.

In Northern TaiwanThe Taipei Ministry of Information and Tourism said in a statement on Monday that the 2024 Taipei Summer Festival in Dadaocheng would be suspended starting Tuesday and a fireworks display planned for Wednesday would be cancelled.

The department said activities would resume until further notice depending on the course of the storm. Buyers of discounted boat tickets for the Blue Water Route would be entitled to a full refund or could rebook the trip.

The city’s water management authority announced that from 4 p.m. on Tuesday, traffic out of the city would only be allowed along river banks and embankment ramps throughout the city due to the heavy rains expected to be brought by the typhoon.

The public was asked to remove vehicles parked in these areas as towing of vehicles parked on the embankment will begin four hours later.

Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an declined to comment on Monday on whether and when schools and offices would be closed due to the typhoon. He only noted that a decision would be made when more precise information on the path of Typhoon Gaemi was available.

According to the Central Meteorological Administration, the storm was moving north-northwest at 12 kilometers per hour and is expected to make landfall in Yilan County in the early hours of Thursday.

Also on Monday, Alishan The Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Administration announced that railway traffic between Alishan and Chiayi stations would be suspended on Tuesday, and operations on this line and lines within the Alishan Recreation Area would be suspended on Wednesday and Thursday.

The authority said operations would only resume once the mountain railway line, which has been repeatedly hit by storms in the past, was fully operational again after the typhoon.

Passengers who have booked tickets for a train journey can get their money refunded at ibon-equipped 7-Eleven stores across the country, it said.

From 2pm Tuesday, Yilan CountyThe Taipingshan National Forest recreation area will be closed as a precautionary measure due to the approach of Gaemi.

The decision on when the area will reopen will depend on the movement of the typhoon and its impact on the Taipingshan region, according to the resort area administration.

In Southern TaiwanThe Taitung County government announced on Monday that the Taitung Hot Air Balloon Carnival activities scheduled from Wednesday to Friday will be cancelled.

In addition, a special concert planned for Thursday at the Taitung Luye Highlands will be postponed to August 2, it said.

Visitors who booked tickets for these events online will receive a full refund, the district government said.

Meanwhile, ferry traffic between Taitung and the islands of Green, Orchid and Xiaoliuqiu will be suspended between Tuesday and Thursday, the Maritime and Port Administration said on Monday.

Tourists vacationing on the islands are asked to pay attention to the development of the storm and all traffic information.