【Taiwan Public Infrastructure Archives: Railway】EP 15: Double-tracking and Electrification

The electrification of the Western Trunk Line began in March 1974 and was completed in July 1979, covering 1,153 kilometers of catenary wires. As one of Taiwan’s most challenging Ten Major Construction Projects, it required extensive technical modifications.
A major difficulty was carrying out the work while keeping the railway operational. As a vital transport artery, the line could not be shut down, so track replacement and clearance adjustments were done at night with military-like precision to prevent service disruptions.
Engineers worked tirelessly in all conditions, demonstrating exceptional dedication. Their efforts transformed the Western Trunk Line into a fully electrified double-track railway, cutting travel time from Taipei to Taichung from four to two hours and from Taipei to Kaohsiung from eight to four hours.
#asefoundation #yy #railway #electrification #doubletracking