Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On December 14, Mayor Ko Wen-je arrived at the Taipei Railway Workshop to inspect the progress of renovations. He noted that the facility was established during the Japanese Colonial Era and is one of the relatively few railway-related historical monuments still standing in Taiwan. Restoration works began in 2020 and is slated for completion in 2023.

During his address, Ko pointed out that starting out as a railway maintenance facility, the Taipei Railway Workshop became the Railway Auditorium after the Pacific War. In 2008, the structure was temporarily moved roughly 30 meters to the southeast by the Department of Rapid Transit due to make room for the construction of the Airport MRT and MRT Songshan Line. 

The building was moved back to its original location in 2012, creating a win-win for both MRT construction and historical monument conservation. It also sets a record that year as the first project in Taiwan involving the lift-and-relocation of an entire brick building.

The mayor stressed that the level of a city’s civilization can be seen by how it deals with historical buildings. Being one of the few centenarian railroad-related facilities in Taipei, he gave the green light to restoration efforts in 2018. Doing so not only preserves a valuable heritage in the fields of architecture and craftsmanship, but the act also protects a piece of shared history and culture for Taipei-ers. 

Ko remarked that once work is completed in March next year, the city government will discuss the possibility of co-commissioning the maintenance and management with the Ministry of Culture, and whether the Taipei Railway Workshop can be integrated as a part of the nearby National Taiwan Museum Railway Department Park. Before then, the Department of Cultural Affairs will be responsible for planning and managing of the edifice.