Former Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) director-general Chen De-pei (陳德沛) won a life-time achievement award from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) for his contribution to the nation’s largest and oldest railway operator.
Chen, 80, received the award from MOTC Minister Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) in a ceremony on Monday afternoon.
Many of the TRA’s legacies came from Chen’s ideas, including the pork chop lunchbox and restoration of the old steam trains, the ministry said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Combining the efforts of senior maintenance crew and young technicians, he guided the restoration of the CK101 steam locomotive, turning it into a tourist draw. The restoration project’s success motivated the administration to restore CK124 steam locomotives.
He also canceled the issuance of priority tickets to legislators and government officials when he was the stationmaster of the Taipei Railway Station in the 1970s, because he saw how it limited the availability of train tickets for regular passengers.
Despite pressure from legislators and his supervisor, Chen stood firm on the policy.
“To me, working in the railway business is not just a job; it is a career,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry also gave a special contribution award to Liu Shu-gen (劉樹根), 82, for Liu’s mastery in repairing train brakes.
“One time, I spent about a week trying to figure out how to fix a brake. I was trying so hard that it gave me a headache so bad that I had to lie down for three days,” Liu said.
Liu has been retired from the TRA for 20 years. Nevertheless, he still shows up at the Taipei train depot every day to help repair steam trains.
“I have worked in the TRA for 43 years and have built a special bond with it. I will try to pass on what I have learned to young people until I am physically unable to do so,” Liu said.
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