TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR, 台灣高鐵) launched QR code paper tickets at three major stations starting Wednesday (Dec. 11) to replace the existing white magnetic tickets, marking the company's first step toward paperless future. The new ticket design features QR codes that are more than twice the size of the original magnetic tickets, with fonts enlarged by 1.5 times for better readability.
The THSR aims to enhance customer service and integrate ESG principles, using Nangang (南港), Banqiao (板橋), and Chiayi (嘉義) stations as an example. All 12 stations will offer these QR code tickets at ticket counters by late April 2025. Automatic ticket machines will follow suit by 2026, phasing out magnetic tickets.
Last year, 28.11 million passengers used mobile and electronic tickets, including commuter and multi-ride passes and EasyCard (悠遊卡) or iPASS (一卡通), marking a significant increase of over 30% from 21.6 million in 2022. THSR noted that the new QR code tickets employ optical sensing technology, consuming only about 2 watts per ticket when passing through gates. This represents a 98% reduction in energy use compared to the 90 watts required by magnetic tickets.
