Safety upgrades on Taiwan's most landslide-prone rail lines have been stalled for months, leaving passengers in Hualien and Taitung exposed as heavy rain and a possible typhoon approach.

• A NT$7.8 billion plan to reinforce the weakest stretches of track sat idle because the national budget was not passed until mid-August.
• The delay ran 351 days, pushing back construction on tunnels, slope barriers, bridge rebuilds, and the relocation of Chongde station.
• Opposition parties in the legislature blocked the budget, and transport officials fear the same fight will repeat next year.
• Heavy rain is spreading into eastern Taiwan and a typhoon may hit this week, on lines already hit by landslides, quakes, and washed-out bridges in recent years.
• Rockfall warning systems already cover 26 risky spots, and 23 more locations are due for physical barriers, but that work needs money that has not been secured.

Outlook: The transport ministry now wants the work rushed to finish by 2031, though eastern rail travel stays vulnerable through this storm season.