In order to align with the second stage of railway track elevation project, Taichung City Station has allocated around NT$350 million of budget for the construction Taichung Station Square (Guan 6) renovation to build a modern square to fuse with the old station which owns about hundreds of years of history. And the square, completed today (3rd), will become the new face of the Great Taichung railways. Mayor Chia-lung Lin said, Taichung has stepped in a new era along with the railway track elevation; the City Government has kept the new, old and the first generation of stations together to make them to become one new fused「Family group of three generations」train station, then the old town reborn is expected to be facilitated and turned around by Central District reborn project of「three arrows」.

The opening ceremony of the Taichung Station Square (Guan 6) construction completion was conducted today so Mayor Lin, Director of Construction Bureau Yu-LIN Huang, Director of Transportation Bureau Yi-chuan Wang, Director of Urban Development Bureau Jung-jay Wang, Legislator Guo-hsu Huang, Councilors Jaw-guo Chiang, Ming-Cheng Ho, Su-jeng Chiu, Gong-jin Cheng and the chiefs of villages were there to participate in the event.

Mayor Lin said, Taichung Train Station has been equipped with not only the third generation of the elevated railway track but also kept the second generation of national monument station. A garage of the first generation of station in the Japanese ruled period was discovered and dug out during the renovation of the station. Taichung was born to be a railway city so the Taichung Station Square is the starting landmark of Taichung. Since the City Government has took the assignment of Taichung Station Square renovation fromRailway Reconstruction Bureau, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the construction was accelerated every day with full concentrations so it’s completed in such a short period of 165 days with 315 days less than the original planned 480 days by Railway Reconstruction Bureau. It’s really not easy. During the renovation process, the City Government tried to keep the old things but also to build in something new for making it to become the civic space. Therefore, the construction team has tried their every effort to conserve the old station and they’ve made it to achieve the goal.

Mayor Lin has indicated the City Government will facilitate the Great Station project after the railway track elevation complete so the plenty of cultural elements are reserved in the urban modernization. When you stand in the new station, the second generation of station is at left side in front of the new station and the first generation of station is at the right. People walk by the Taichung Station in the future, they will see the change of Taichung from the past to the great future. We believe the first arrow for the reborn of Central District was shot to the successful Luchuan and Liuchuan renovations, the second one shot to the Great Station project to link to the historical architectures and the monuments together to become a pearl necklace. Also, the third arrow shot to renaissance has driven the changes to make the old town reborn expectable.

Mayor Lin has said, the railway track elevation will complete to have the whole line opened to traffic by the end of this year. There are 10 stops from Fengyuan to Daqing Station, including the original 5 stops and the other newly added 5 stops with the Taichung Station as the center. The Great Station project has been reviewed and approved by Ministry of the Interior so the retail leases have been kicked off. In the future, it’s not just for the railway track elevation but the MRT blue line will also get across here as well. We believe the old train station will become an important key milestone of the old town reborn project and the new station will drive Taichung to move toward the modern age.

The officer of Construction Bureau said, Taichung Station Square (Guan 6) construction is located in front of the Taichung Train Station and on the key driveway. The total area coverage is 15,206 square meters with NT$346,115,159 spent; the construction was started from 15th January and planned to be completed by 15th August. In order not to influence the traffics in front of the station during the construction period, the whole area has been split into 5 working zone as zone A, B, C, D and E. Two shifts were operating in day and night by two staged constructions. Under the accelerating construction of the City Government engineering team, it has been completed ahead and opened on 30th June.

Construction Bureau has pointed, Taichung Station Square remodeling construction has planned the commercial retail spaces at the square, green plant project, the adjustment for the driveways and pedestrian walks in the surrounding area and barrier free facilities etc. to build up a modern urban space with leisure activities. Along with the the road type modification and landscape renovation, the modern square and the green image of leisure can fuse with the old station of hundred years to reinvigorate the historical appearance with a new life and bring the Great Taichung Station a mixed new face with old and new features.