Two new diesel-powered locomotives procured by Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) are powerful enough to transport the military’s M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) or 105mm artillery system, the state-run railway company said yesterday.
The nation’s largest railway operator highlighted its capability to transport military equipment following a recent meeting between TRC chairman Tu Wei (杜微) and All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency Transport Department Director Lee Shih-jie (李世傑).
Tu and Lee exchanged views on some technical issues, including expanding cargo-loading training and installing conveying equipment, bridge decks, improved caboose and new mobile terminal platforms.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Railway Corp
The two agencies have set a preliminary schedule on the coordination and special task force meetings, TRC said.
“We have been trying to improve our transportation models and make the best plans by coordinating with the military and cargo dealers. TRC employees are to apply skills they learn from the training when transporting goods and military equipment,” Tu said.
“We have also prepared to meet the needs for transportation when the natural disasters hit,” he said.
The railway company has purchased two diesel-powered R200 locomotives, with testing to be completed this month, Tu added.
The two locomotives are scheduled to be in operation next month, he said.
“With their high horsepower, the locomotives would be able to increase the tonnage of cargo trains and reduce transportation time. The military palns to introduce M142 HIMARS or 105mm artillery systems, both of which are wheeled vehicles that can be transported by using TRC’s flat cars,” Tu said.
Separately, the railway police are searching for a passenger who on Friday deliberately pulled the conductor’s valve on the ninth car of a EMU3000 train causing it to automatically stop at Taitung’s Jinlun (金崙) Station.
To reduce the amount of delay, the railway boarded passengers to another train that arrived 26 minutes later, the TRC said, adding that the train was not damaged.
The train resumed operation after the valve was returned to its normal position, it said.
“We have reviewed the surveillance footage recorded at the ninth cabin and turned the evidence over to the Railway Police Bureau,” the company said.
TRC vice chairman Liu Shuang-huo (劉雙火) said the valve should be used in emergencies in which the conductor needs to stop the train immediately.
Pulling down the valve without any legitimate reason would cause the train to stop abruptly and passengers could be injured, he said.
There is a sign next to the valve warning people to not touch the device, he said.
Once caught, the passenger would not only be fined but face criminal punishment for endangering public safety, Liu added.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
BIG YEAR: The company said it would also release its A12 chip the same year to keep a ‘reliable stream of new silicon technologies’ flowing to its customers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said its newest A13 chip is to enter volume production in 2029 as the chipmaker seeks to hold onto its tech leadership and demand for next-generation chips used in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance-computing (HPC) and mobile applications. TSMC, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, also unveiled its A12 chip at its annual technology symposium in Santa Clara, California. The A12 chip, which features TSMC’s super-power-rail technology to provide backside power delivery for AI and HPC applications, is also to enter volume production in 2029, a year after the scheduled release of the A14 chip. The technology moves
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks. Starting at 12:10am today, reporters observed more than a dozen civilian flatbed trailers departing from Taipei Port, each carrying an M1A2T tank covered with black waterproof tarps. Escorted by military vehicles, the convoy traveled via the West Coast Expressway to the Armor Training Command, with police implementing traffic control. The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM-11 Brave Tiger
RSS