New Taiwan Railway electric train engine enters service

New Taiwan Railway electric train engine enters service

2024-09-30

The Taiwan Railway’s 10-year train procurement plan is nearing its conclusion. Since 2015, the railway invested billions of Taiwan dollars to procure 1,300 new vehicles. About 80% of them have been delivered so far. The newest addition is the E500 train engine, which set off on its maiden trip from Qidu Station on Monday morning. Let’s hear from the deputy minister of transport.

Chen Yen-po
Deputy transport minister
Refining our railways in 10 years was no easy feat. We’ve had the EMU900, EMU 3000 and R200 begin operations, and now the E500 has joined the Taiwan Railway ranks. I think it will mark a major improvement for service quality.

Feng Hui-sheng
Taiwan Railway chief executive
We hope to improve punctuality. The new electric locomotives will help boost the reliability of our services, as they have more horse power and can accelerate and decelerate more quickly.

The Taiwan Railway held a special ceremony to mark the launch of the E500. It has also released merch featuring the new additions over the past decade. There’s card sets, miniatures, mugs, key rings and more. All were available at a pop-up shop at Qidu station on Monday.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

台鐵"E500型電車"正式上線七堵車站盛大啟航

2024-09-30

台鐵多年前提出的十年購車計畫，已逐漸進到尾聲，從2015到2024這十年間，台鐵斥資千億，引進1300輛新車，目前到貨率達到8成，最新的E500電力機車，也已在週一正式上線營運，早上在七堵車站舉辦啟航儀式。

[[交通部政務次長陳彥伯]]
“十年磨一劍真的很不簡單，那這樣台鐵在EMU900、3000、R200，甚至到今天的E500，陸續的加入台鐵的營運，我想可以對台鐵整個服務品質，做大大的一個提升。”

[[台鐵總經理馮輝昇]]
“台鐵未來希望準點率能夠提升，所以我們的新的電力機車投入，牽引我們的PP，因為它的馬力比較大、加減速比較快，那我們也能夠更讓這個車輛的可靠性能夠提升。”

為了慶祝新機車頭正式投入營運，台鐵除了舉辦啟航儀式，還推出許多周邊產品，包括含有EMU900、EMU3000、及E500等新世代列車的紀念套卡，以及專屬E500電力機車頭的周邊產品，有便當盒、馬克杯、證件吊牌等，今天在七堵車站特別設立快閃店販售。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
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Locals of outlying islands prepare for Typhoon Krathon

Taiwan’s outlying islands are bracing for Krathon’s impact. A sea warning has already been issued for Penghu, disrupting travel plans for many visitors. Over in Xiaoliuqiu in the south, the waters were still relatively calm on Monday, allowing some travelers to make a last ferry trip to or from the island. Meanwhile, islanders are trying to make the most of the time before the storm to secure supplies.

Passengers descend from a tour bus. Even though Typhoon Krathon is around the corner, they still want to tour Xiaoliuqiu.

Some of them are here for a day trip right before the typhoon lands. On the other side of the coin, those who had arrived earlier couldn’t wait to catch a ferry back to Taiwan proper, in fear of being trapped on the island later.

On Monday morning the waters were calm enough, so ferries between Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu still operated as scheduled. Only the last scheduled rides were suspended.

Tsai Chun-ching
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We need to dock the ships, so we’ll cancel the last rides. It’ll end at 3:20 p.m. in Donggang and 4:00 p.m. in Xiaoliuqiu.

Typhoon Krathon is excepted to land in Pingtung on Wednesday, bringing ferry services to a halt on Monday and Tuesday. In anticipation, business operators rushed to deliver everyday goods to the docks, which were to be sent to Xiaoliuqiu. One carrier was loaded with desktop computer units and monitors, bound for the local elementary school.

Meanwhile in Penghu, the weather was fine in the morning. But because a sea warning had already been issued, activities on water were prohibited. So tourists could only stay on the main island for sightseeing.

Tourist
It’s a bit of a pity. I was really looking forward to it, but now we must stay safe. It’s still nice to look around in town though.

Tourist
The ships can’t sail, so we’ll stay on the main island.

Fishermen were also docking their vessels and securing them with rope. It’ll be a few days before they can go fishing again.

Fishers say that for the time being, they’ll pass the time with maintenance work, such as mending fishing nets.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Taipei clears riverside parks ahead of Typhoon Krathon

Typhoon Krathon is approaching. The storm is expected to land in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, in Pingtung or Kaohsiung. Over in the north, the capital is not taking any risks. All removable public facilities will have been carried away from riverside parks by the end of the day on Monday. And starting Tuesday, all access points to parks will be exit only. If your car is parked near a river, be sure to move it somewhere else.

A blue truck removes the shipping containers from Dajia Riverside Park, as a crane rushes to get its work done.

Workers load the walkways to move them to a secure location. Taipei is preparing for Typhoon Krathon and is not taking any risks.

Lin Jen-hao
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There are 116 toilets, and about 10 boarding bridges. All relevant facilities will have to be removed. We started work at 8 in the morning, and expect to finish by the end of the day.

From 9 a.m. on Tuesday, floodgates and other accesses to riverside parks will be exit only. Any vehicles at riverside car parks should be moved to a different location.

Lin Jen-hao
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From 9 in the morning tomorrow, access points will be exit only. So keep an eye on the official government websites and on the Hydraulic Engineering Office’s social media accounts. All typhoon news will be posted there.

Taipei is scheduled to host a National Day concert on Saturday. The venue is Taipei Dome, which has recently come under fire for its leaky roof.

Chiang Wan-an
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There’ll be sandbags and other equipment at entrances, and measures will be taken to prevent flooding and slippery surfaces. We have asked Farglory to fix the bigger leaks and the areas that would have a bigger impact on the National Day concert by Oct. 4. We will absolutely require them to address the issues.

With National Day fast approaching, flags have mushroomed along roads in the city. Mayor Chiang Wan-an says if a land warning is issued for the typhoon, the flags and decorations will be taken down for the safety of citizens.

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Veggie prices skyrocket in the north ahead of storm

Shoppers are flocking to supermarkets and stores in Northern Taiwan to prepare for the typhoon. Fresh produce, especially leafy greens are flying off the shelves. Already, the prices of some vegetables, such as cilantro and celery have shot up. Over in Yilan, spring onion farmers are rushing to harvest their crops to avoid damage from the storm.

Amid a break from the rain, a spring onion farmer in Sanxing rushes to harvest the produce before Typhoon Krathon strikes. The previous typhoon had devastated farmers in Central and Southern Taiwan, and they can’t afford for the same to happen in Yilan.

Lee Chih-yuan
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Farmers think that if prices go up, that’d be great. But they don’t want them to go up too much. If consumer purchasing power weakens that actually has a negative effect.

Hulin Market in Taipei is closed on Mondays, but some locals are out shopping before the storm strikes. Cilantro has surged to NT$350 per catty, or 600g. That’s 2.5 times its previous price. Celery is now 60% more expensive than before, at NT$400 per catty.

Ms. Huang
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We and other vendors that went to buy veggies were a bit hopeful. But in the end, we arrived a little late and there wasn’t any left. Cilantro was just at NT$100 on Friday, and the next day it had shot up by more than NT$200.

If you’re hoping to buy some veggies before the typhoon, you might have to shop around. In the north, prices have gone up by an average of 20% to 30%. Bok choy and sweet potato leaves have shot up by 60%.

Carrefour has boosted its stocks of leafy greens and instant noodles by 40% to 50% and 20% to 30% respectively. Meanwhile, Simple Mart has upped products in stock by 20% to 30%, and has launched an offer for bottled water and frozen dumplings, much to the delight of bargain hunters.

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Chang Chun-hung
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It so happens that today is Monday, when traditional markets close. So we’re keeping an additional 40% to 50% of stock.

With a typhoon on the horizon, shoppers, convenience stores, shopkeepers and markets are taking action to minimize the impact of the storm.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Child of farming family in Chiayi thrives in international art scene

From his humble beginnings in a farming family, Chen Ming-shen from Chiayi has made a name for himself in the world of art. The painter is known for his saturated impressionist pieces and his appreciation of daily life scenes. Some of his works have been exhibited at prestigious salons in Paris. This coming fall, one of his pieces will be on show at the Autumn Salon, alongside a painting by his son.

Chen Ming-shen
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It’s bright and dynamic. With a flick of the brush, we can create chicken feathers like this.

Stroke after stroke, an imposing rooster comes to life on the canvas in bold and vibrant colors. The artist at work is none other than Chen Ming-shen, who likes to feature chickens in his paintings.

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Chicken feathers shine bright in the sunlight. The more beautiful the luster and colors, the more spirited it appears.

Now 60, Chen remains as passionate about painting as he was during his childhood. Chen grew up in a farming family, and though he ended up studying art and design in high school, he only began learning oil painting just over 10 years ago. His style leans impressionist, following the footsteps of French artist Paul Cézanne. His works have been shown at major art salons in France including the Spring Salon, the Autumn Salon and the Salon of Independent Artists. And his paintings have been exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris alongside artworks by globally-renowned artists. One of them depicts a warm interaction between his parents.

Chen Ming-shen
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I spent two and a half years on this piece. It’s a painting of my mother cleaning my father’s ears.

Chen Ming-shen’s son, Chen Po-jen, grew up surrounded by his father’s art, and developed a keen eye for color. Eventually, he decided to change majors to fine arts in university, and is now emerging as an artist of his own with a radically different style from his father.

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Restorers save old videos by film pioneer Hsieh Te-cheng

Hsieh Te-cheng devoted his life to film. In addition to founding a number of associations, he also strove to cultivate a culture and education around the practice in Taiwan. After he passed away two years ago, his granddaughter kept discovering secret compartments around the house packed with negatives and equipment. So she found an academic group that specializes in audiovisual restoration to preserve Hsieh’s legacy.

A baby’s adorable unsteady movements are captured on film. In another, a buffalo in a field becomes the focus. These old home videos were taken by Taiwan’s very own master photographer, Hsieh Te-cheng.

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When lying on the ground and looking up, I found a compartment here and wondered if there was anything inside.

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Hsieh Te-cheng first encountered a camera when he was a young teenager. He even left behind some writings. Things of all kinds were kept. The richness and completeness of his archives. I really think there’s nothing else quite like it.

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I thought it would be a shame to get rid of Grandpa’s works. I hoped someone else could find a use for them.

Hsieh devoted his entire life to film. He not only created a number of associations, but also cultivated a culture and education around the practice. His lively photos and videos can be found in the collections of art museums around Taiwan and serve as important cultural assets.

Hsieh Te-cheng’s widow
Whenever he got money he’d want to go abroad to film. As his wife and kids, we’d have to find a way to save money.

Tseng Chi-hsien
TNNUA Multi-Media Center director
There have been nearly 100 boxes of materials sent to the school. We’ll scan to digitize them, and hopefully in the future create an archive for people to peruse the images that Hsieh left behind for his country.

The Tainan art university’s Multi-Media Center is working on saving Hsieh’s archive. By preserving his valuable works, they hope to present Taiwan’s diverse landscapes and histories in a new way, while also showing more people the photographer’s extensive contributions and achievements.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-09-30