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.
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
The government is considering polices to increase rental subsidies for people living in social housing who get married and have children, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. During an interview with the Plain Law Movement (法律白話文) podcast, Cho said that housing prices cannot be brought down overnight without affecting banks and mortgages. Therefore, the government is focusing on providing more aid for young people by taking 3 to 5 percent of urban renewal projects and zone expropriations and using that land for social housing, he said. Single people living in social housing who get married and become parents could obtain 50 percent more
DEMOGRAPHICS: Robotics is the most promising answer to looming labor woes, the long-term care system and national contingency response, an official said Taiwan is to launch a five-year plan to boost the robotics industry in a bid to address labor shortages stemming from a declining and aging population, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The government approved the initiative, dubbed the Smart Robotics Industry Promotion Plan, via executive order, senior officials told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s population decline would strain the economy and the nation’s ability to care for vulnerable and elderly people, said Peter Hong (洪樂文), who heads the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Department of Engineering and Technologies. Projections show that the proportion of Taiwanese 65 or older would
Democracies must remain united in the face of a shifting geopolitical landscape, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s security to the world. “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism,” Tsai said at the annual forum in the Danish capital. Noting a “new geopolitical landscape” in which global trade and security face “uncertainty and unpredictability,” Tsai said that democracies must remain united and be more committed to building up resilience together in the face of challenges. Resilience “allows us to absorb shocks, adapt under
RSS