TAITUNG (TVBS News) — Taiwan Railway (台鐵) announced on Tuesday (Nov. 19) that it will resume regular meal service on Wednesday after addressing concerns over food safety. The announcement follows an incident on Nov. 17 when three passengers on the Tze-Chiang Limited Express (自強號) fell ill after consuming boxed meals purchased at Taitung Station. The passengers experienced symptoms of fever and gastrointestinal distress, leading to suspicions of food poisoning.
Taiwan Railway temporarily halted meal service at its Taitung restaurant to investigate the situation. Contrary to rumors, the restaurant was not ordered to close. Taitung's Public Health Bureau (台東縣衛生局) inspected the facility on Nov. 18 and found no expired ingredients or significant irregularities. The railway company has since implemented improvements, including cleaning the exhaust system in the cooking area and addressing six issues identified during the inspection.
On Nov. 17, the Taitung restaurant prepared and supplied 10,177 boxed meals, with no additional reports of illness from other customers. Taiwan Railway plans to stay in touch with the affected passengers and offer support once they recover. The company is also working closely with health authorities to confirm test results. Emphasizing its commitment to food safety, Taiwan Railway has pledged to handle this incident with the utmost rigor to ensure the safety of future meal services.
