Trains have changed the world and fostered a desire for ever greater speeds that has helped to launch many breakthrough technologies. In the 100-plus years since Governor-General Liu Ming chuan first proposed linking Taiwan through rail, train travel has transformed the way of life in Taiwan and contributed to a store of collective memories shared by the island’s inhabitants. This Exhibition is divided into four sections: "Our Railways"," Trains History ", " Railway Signals Explained" and " Modern Temporal and Spatial Order". Located in Taiwan Governor-General Office Bureau of Transportation Railway Department, the Exhibition portrays railway history through historical materials that showcase the trains, buildings and events of days past. Creative writings of all manner, featuring trains and rails, add further to the experience of visitors retracing Taiwan’s railway history.

OUR RAILWAYS

Taiwan has undergone three spatial revolutions in the history of railway land transport: the Trunk Line that first connected north and south, the Fei Kuai Limited Express that brought one-day round-trip travel to the Taipei-Kaohsiung route, and the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) that transformed the limits of the daily living sphere. Each revolutionary event greatly condensed travel time between north and south, forging closer and more convenient cross-island links. The construction of the rail network also spurred urban and rural development, evoking a rich collection of shared railway memories that locals and international visitors alike can enjoy through this exhibition of railway history.

TRAINS HISTORY

Most people associate their first impressions of trains with locomotive technology, the passenger and freight trains trailing them, or the town and village scenes through which they passed. Reminiscing on the purchase of a train ticket, on-board service, or time spent on a platform, brings home the realization of the close connection trains have shared with daily living.

RAILWAY SIGNALS EXPLAINED

A complex and robust system has supported the on-time arrival of trains. Buildings and structures like engine houses, signal towers, bridges and tunnels, along with safety measures like signals and block instruments have all worked in unison to ensure safe railway travel.

MODERN TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL ORDER

Railways have connected places, peoples, objects and information in transformative ways, changing how people perceive both time and space and contributing to the modern concept of punctuality. Time spent on train travel has shaped the collective memories of the populace, forming the basis for so many stories, told through literature, song and cinema, with trains and stations as backdrops.