Taiwan Railways sells 127,000 tickets in 1 minute ahead of April holidays

台鐵4月連假1分鐘內售出127,000張票

TRA sold out 252 special express trains for the Tomb Sweeping Holiday immediately after midnight early Wednesday


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Taiwan Rail Administration (TRA) website was bombarded with inquiries early on Wednesday, March 20 byTaiwanese travelers preparing for the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Holiday (清明節), with over a hundred thousand rail tickets purchased by 12:01 a.m.

According to TRA, train tickets for 252 express trains traveling down the East Coast over the four-day holiday weekend, April 4-6, went on sale at midnight, March 20. The website was immediately flooded with customers trying to secure their TRA tickets.

In the first minute alone, 69,531 orders for 127,609 tickets were successfully completed. The number of ticket sales surpassed the previous year when 59,134 orders were placed in the first minute for 114, 220 total tickets, reports United Daily News.

While many users were satisfied with the ease and speed of the ticketing system, there were complaints. Travel agencies and large numbers of people often manage to snap up all the available tickets ahead of major holidays.

Individuals who were unable to purchase tickets using the TRA system are likely to travel by regular train or coach bus in order to celebrate the Tomb Sweeping holiday with their families.