Taiwan's first Elevated Railway Engineering Vision Museum, located in the East District of Taichung City, was inaugurated by Minister Mao of Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and Deputy Mayor Hsiao on the morning of November 17. Minister Mao said in his speech that after all the railways within Taichung City are elevated in the future, Taichung City shall be able to start a “suture” program to reuse the vacated land corridor to improve its urban landscapes, balance its regional development, and help develop its economy and that the construction of Elevated Railway Engineering Vision Museum is to help people understand more about the future prospect after the railroads are elevated.
Deputy Mayor Hsiao thanked the MOTC for fully subsidizing the railway elevation project for Taichung City. He pointed out that the first phase of railway elevation project will be completed by the end of 2015 and 17 level crossings, 20 underpasses and 3 land bridges will be eliminated as a result. However, as there are still 6 underpasses not yet included in the land leveling program, Deputy Mayor Hsiao hoped that the MOTC will help the funding for their removal and land refilling so as to create a “seamless” new Taichung.
Built by the Railway Reconstruction Bureau, MOTC, the Elevated Railway Engineering Vision Museum is located under the elevated railroad at the south of Taiyuan Railway Station (太原火車站) in between Dongguang Road (東光路) and Dong Cheng Road (東成路). The Museum covers an area of 180 pings and classified into six zones, namely project introduction zone, historical memorial zone (for living with railway), vision zone (for urban suture plan and Taichung living prospects), station design and architectural art zone, engineering and materials and facilities zone, and related engineering display zone.
Construction of the elevated bridges and station works for the elevated railroads and the rapid transit project have been contracted out and implemented one after another. There will be 10 stations with bridge landscaping projects, namely Fengyuan (豐原), Fengnan (豐南), Tanzih (潭子), Touquaitsu (頭家厝), Songzhu (松竹), Taiyuan (太原), Jingwu (精武), Taichung (臺中), Wuquan (五權), and Daqing (大慶). Among them, Songzhu Station and Daqing Station will co-share facilities with Taichung MRT Station, forming a new transportation hub for Greater Taichung in the future.
This railway elevation project will be carried out in line with the urban renewal plan of Taichung City Government in a hope to sew up the longstanding estrangement caused by railroads, enhance the urban land use value, and animate the economic activities in Taichung City.