The transportation and culture ministries are joining forces to preserve railroad heritage in the central city of Changhua.
During a visit to the city on Wednesday, Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung said that Changhua owes its development to Taiwan’s railways. However, he said that a number of historic buildings in the city that are associated with the railroads have fallen into serious disrepair.
Lin said that a new railroad culture park will allow historic buildings covering 1.3 hectares to get a new lease on life. The park will be centered on a local landmark, the 1922 Changhua Roundhouse. This is a railway roundhouse, a circular warehouse building centered on a turntable. Inside are several stalls where locomotives can be stored and serviced.
The park is expected to become a local landmark in itself, and may play a role in a campaign to promote rail travel slated for 2022.