The Preparatory Office of National Railway Museum inked memorandums of understanding with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Railway Bureau and Taiwan Railway Corp. Oct. 26 in Taipei City, spotlighting the government’s commitment to preserving train culture and revitalizing cultural assets.
Inked by PONRM Director Cheng Min-chang and RB Deputy Director General Lu Hsin-hsi, the first pact states the office’s intention to continue restoring historic sites, expanding its collection of artifacts and documents, and holding exhibitions while promoting relevant education and tourism in collaboration with the RB. Under the second agreement inked by Cheng and TRC General Manager Feng Hui-sheng, the office will maintain cooperation with TRC in areas spanning railway technology sharing, vehicle maintenance and digital preservation of records, among others.
Feng said that the two entities will advance comprehensive collaboration on Taiwan’s cultural railway assets, citing a plan to jointly restore DR2700 diesel trains following their successful refurbishment of DR2102 diesel trains in 2022.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the memorandums are the result of a shared commitment to preserve the Taipei Railway Workshop, a national historic site. Launched in 1935, the TRW was the largest railway rolling stock maintenance and logistics center in Taiwan.
The venue is being transformed into the NRM by the preparatory office in partnership with the Taiwan Railway Administration, which became the state-owned TRC earlier this year, and the RB.
On the same day of the signings, a bronze statue of Japanese technician Kazuhiko Hayami, who contributed to TRW’s development, was relocated to the site to celebrate the workshop’s 89th anniversary, the ministry added. (YCH-E)
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from Taiwan Today – Top News