Railway Bureau, MOTC

Implementation Measures of Railway Industry Development

1.Prioritize Items for Localization

• The Board of Railway Industry Promotion and R-TEAM reviewed priority items and their sequence of R&D. For light rail systems, core electromechanical systems, such as rolling stock and signaling systems, are the focal points, on the other hand, improving the safety and performance of rolling stock and train control systems are the focal points of tranditional railway.
• With the feasibility study of the faster trains operating in 160 km/hr in eastern Taiwan, the prioritize items for localization for the faster trains including rolling stock, signaling and power supply systems and their sequence of R&D will be proposed later.

2.Integrate Research, Development and Testing/Certification Capabilities

(1)Develop Railway Technologies

• Allocate funds to assist railway development, and expand sources of funding; establish a railway industry innovation grant mechanism; establish an R&D team through the R-TEAM member and relevant sections such as industry, academia, and research institutions, to engage in technology research of subsystems or components. The approach of acquiring advanced technologies includes technology transfer from foreign companies in the early stage, assisting domestic industry developing autonomous technology and integration capabilities gradually.

(2)Establish a Testing and Certification System

• Review and integrate technology capabilities of domestic research institues through the testing/certification platform, and establish a supply/demand information exchange and collaboration scenario; amend laws to establish a testing and certification system for railway product, and establish testing procedures and certification standards for designated items to ensure product safety and quality.
• Promote mutual recognition agreement of testing and certification for railway product between domestic and foreign conformity assessment bodies to eliminate trade barriers.

3.Establish National Standards

• Establish significant national standards aligned with international or regional standards for priority items; propose the recommendation structure for railway national standards and propose the list of significant international or regional standards which will be transfer to CNS in the long run.

4.Establish a Railway Technology Research and Certification Center

• Establish an institute to conduct railway research and testing/certification ; install phase-1 instruments and equipment, and obtain accreditation from the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF).
• Install phase-2 instruments and equipment and establish a testing track; obtain accreditation from the TAF; formulate a master plan for the railway industry development; establish exchange, collaboration, and mutual recognition mechanisms between domestic and foreign testing/certification institutions to obtain accreditation from foreign certification agencies.

5.Establish Railway System Procurement Guidelines and Support Measures for Localization

• Prioritize light rail transportation, integrate procurement requirements of each region, establish top-down system specifications, establish light rail system procurement guidelines, and encourage county/city governments to adopt the guidelines through specific projects. Establish a opinion exchange platform, assist procuring agencies with implementing the guidelines and resolving implementation related issues; complete the standard procurement clause and convert support measures for localization (including flexible contractor qualifications, product use/qualification certificates, the most advantageous tender, upper limit on scores assigned to localization items, general specifications, and lower limit on the procurement amount of local content) set forth in the guidelines into contract terms for project implementation; establish a guideline review mechanism to determine if feasibility studies and overall planning is carried out according to the guidelines; formulate support measures for localization of individual systems to increase opportunities for domestic companies to participate in tenders; establish support measures for procurement of maintenance spares , and mechanisms for the industry to participate in R&D and tenders of railway system.
• Establish funding review and evaluation mechanism ensuring localization in development projects are properly implemented; formulate procurement guidelines and localization support measures for other railway systems.

6.Provide Repair Business Opportunities

• Railway operators share the localization experience, conduct rolling reviews, increase demand on domestically produced maintenance spares, and prioritize developingvaluable consumables assist reducing maintenance costs; railway operators release information on the procurement of maintenance spares through open platforms; establish a material management information system of railway equipment, systematically organize technical specifications and procurement requirements, and step up information exchange.

7.Establish a Smart Railway System Structure and Incorporate 4.0 Technology

(1)Establish Systems

• Establish specifications for the structure of smart railways and amend related laws and regulations; establish and announce standards for edge, network, and cloud equipment and endpoint interfaces; establish a big data platform, integrate communication protocols, transmission methods, and conversion formats; implement information security measures in railway IoT equipment.

(2)Develop Technologies

• Explore AI applications in railway safety monitoring, preventive maintenance, inspection, and passenger services; plan objectives for each phase of smart railway development, establish policies to encourage railway companies to incorporate 4.0 technology; establish certification mechanisms for edge, network, and cloud equipment; establish a smart railway test field (including information security).
• Implement TC 4.0 technology for tranditional railway, and establish a comprehensive continuous monitoring train control system based on 5G communications technology and a structure with multiple communication methods; establish a maintenance monitoring database which is capable of conducting data analysis, and providing feedback for applications.

(3)Obtain a Dedicated Spectrum

• Review requirements on the immediacy and stability of mobile communications for smart railways and encountered issues; strengthen external signal communications, such as speech sound, images, and data, and improve the immediacy of mobile communications reception through vehicle design; discuss the necessity of retaining a dedicated spectrum for railway systems.
• Encourage domestic telecommunications operators to participate in railway network construction and maintenance.

(4)Establish Incentive Measures

• Establish a platform for industry, government, academia, and research institutes to exchange opinions relating to smart railway; establish procurement guidelines and incentive measures, and implement a pilot project.
• Establish a certification label for smart railway equipment; encourage railway operators to collaborate with industry, academia, and research institutes in R&D, standards establishment, and product testing.

8.Assist Academic Institutions with Cultivating Railway Talent

• Bring together industry, government, academia, and research institutes to establish an academy that cultivates talent for the railway industry, and build the educational resources of academic institutions in railway software and hardware technologies; assist academic institutions and railway operators jointly compiling teaching materials on railway basics and innovative technologies, and establish a practice site for industry-academia collaboration.
• Implement a railway program certification system recognized by administrative authorities, and integrate talent cultivation across universities; implement a mutual recognition system between education and employment to reduce training cost for railway operators.

9.Assemble the R-TEAM and Develop Railway Electromechanical System Turnkey Contractors in Taiwan

• Implement localization measures through development projects, and increase opportunities for domestic companies to participate in tenders; review both localization objectives of development projects and reference lists of domestically produced products(non-safety related items will be included firstly); reveal progress of developing plans and information on overseas markets through the R-TEAM and industry joint conference, providing opportunities for domestic companies; assist the R-TEAM and domestic companies participating in international railway exhibitions to demonstrate the industry’s technical capabilities, and seeking for cooperation opportunities with foreign companies on the foundation of domestic performance records; provide guidance to companies in using the government’s subsidies to develop overseas business.
• Review the tendering strategies of domestic development projects, assist domestic companies becoming turnkey contractors with integration capabilities for railway electromechanical systems to develop a complete industry ecosystem in Taiwan, which will be conducive to negotiate with foreign companies; establish subsidy mechanisms for the railway industry to expand its overseas business.

Ref: “2021 White Paper on Transportation Technology Industry Policy”, Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC)