Two 100-year-old railway stations in Miaoli’s Zaociao Township (造橋) have been selected for renovation as part of a project to restore historical stops.
One of the stations, Zaociao Railway Station, is located along the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) Mountain Line and was built from reinforced concrete.
The other, Tanwen Railway Station (談文車站), is located along the Coastal Line and is a wooden structure built in traditional Japanese style.
Photo: Cheng Ming-hsiang, Taipei Times
The township office, which is in charge of the restoration work, said it hopes to renovate the station as soon as possible to boost tourism in the area.
The Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency has assisted the project with development funds, Zaociao Mayor Huang Chun-te (黃純德) said, adding that the office is developing scenic trails that would link the township, the stations and the old Jhenghan Trail (鄭漢古道).
Tanwen station is important as the first station on the Coastal Line section of the TRA Main Line and is also one of only a few stations in the nation built in traditional Japanese architectural style, he said.
The station should be among the first to be restored, the TRA said, adding that it hopes it would capture the historical atmosphere of the township and original station while conforming to modern safety requirements.
The township office has requested NT$2.5 million (US$85,208) from the agency for the development of the trails, Huang said, adding that about 100m of trail connecting the station remains to be developed.
“I hope to see the completed trail network become a new destination for visitors traveling along the Coastal Line,” he said.
The office would raise the funds for the remaining section of the trail itself, but hopes it could receive assistance from the central government for the station’s restoration, he said.
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