The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) yesterday presented iron lunchboxes embossed with the pattern of the CK-124 model steam train.
The railway system is scheduled to celebrate its 124th anniversary tomorrow and will showcase a series of new products.
Ju Lai-shun (朱來順), general manager of catering services at the TRA, said the administration hoped to present the history and culture of the TRA through the products. In all, 12 different models of trains used over the past 124 years will be embossed on the lunchboxes.
“They represent train models used over different generations,” Ju said. “We are planning to introduce one or two types every year so that people can build a collection.”
Ju said the TRA was considering producing handbags with the train models printed on them and that the handbag and lunchboxes could be sold as a set.
Each lunchbox costs NT$200, he said.
Aside from the lunchboxes, the TRA is also expected to unveil railway tickets made of gold with a millesimal fineness of 999.9 (or more than 24 carat).
The gold tickets weigh about 25g and feature either the TRA train station in Greater Tainan’s Yongkang (永康) or Baoan (保安).
The TRA decided to use these two train stations on the souvenir tickets because the character order can be rearranged to signify “safety and good health forever” (永保安康) in Chinese.
The TRA said each gold ticket costs NT$8,888 and that only 1,000 would be available to the public.
The new lunchboxes and gold tickets will be sold simultaneously at TRA stations at Songshan, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung from tomorrow.
As the nation will celebrate Lovers’ Day on Aug. 6, the TRA said it would introduce diamond necklaces for couples, which will go on sale on July 23.
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