Taiwan Railways Administration’s Keelung Station commenced operations June 29, representing the dawn of a new era in urban development for the northern port city.
President Ma Ying-jeou, who presided over the inauguration ceremony, said the facility’s enhanced services are expected to attract more visitors and spur the local economy.
“The station is part of a broader development plan aimed at raising the profile of Taiwan as a top destination for cruise ships,” he said, adding that an NT$6.2 billion (US$200.7 million) passenger terminal is set for completion March 2017 in the city.
Comprising two platforms and four lines, the country’s first semiunderground station can handle 20,000 passengers daily, up 11.1 percent from the previous facility, according to the Railway Reconstruction Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
Resembling a birdcage, the steel and glass structure is equipped with rooftop solar cells that can generate 42,000 kilowatt hours of power per year, with a natural daylight design slashing carbon emissions by 27 tons annually.
Beginning construction four years ago, the NT$2.6 billion facility is only a minute’s walk to the port’s West Passenger Terminal, while an observation deck in the southern entrance offers a panoramic view of the harbor.
The station’s convenient location and easy access to major tourist attractions, along with an installation artwork in the northern entrance, will make it a new landmark of the city, the bureau said. (SFC-JSM)
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