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.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
RSS