Taiwan Railways Administration

File:Teng-Yung locomotive in Taipei Railway Workshop 1999-01.jpg, was the first steam locomotive operated in Taiwan.]]

File:TRA R51 DL at Level crossing.jpg-class diesel locomotive R51]]

The railway between Keelung and Hsinchu was completed during the Qing era in 1893.{{sfnp|Davidson|1903|pp=620-621|ps=: "The first Formosa railway was built by the Chinese government and was completed in 1893. On the arrival of the Japanese, the line, some 100 kilometers in length, came into their possession. It was found to be in such wretched condition, however, that a satisfactory train service could not be maintained. The rolling stock was also limited and entirely unsuited to the requirements.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

Accordingly work was commenced on the line at once. The Kelung-Taihoku branch was completely reconstructed as so to avoid the numerous short curves and the steep grades. The line leading from Taihoku to the south received also some attention, the total cost of these improvements reaching nearly two million yen. The railway was at this time under the direct control of the Military Department. In 1897, it came under the control of the Civil Department. It was the intention at one time to hand it over to the private railway company organized in Japan for the purpose of completing the Formosa railway system. The private railway company, however, failed to obtain public support, and in 1898 the Formosan government announced its intention of carrying on the work itself. Under the able direction of Chief Engineer Hasegawa the plans were soon formulated, and in 1899 work was commenced on the southern line from Takow north to Tainan, a distance of 28 miles. This section was completed in November, 1900. The Kelung and Shinchiku (Teckcham), lines were repaired, much rolling stock was added, and in the fall of 1900 work was commenced on the short branch line from Taihoku, (Taipeh) to Tamsui, (Hobe), which was completed in June 1901. There is a great deal of traffic between the port Tamsui and Taihoku and its suburbs, Banka and Daitotei (Twatutia). The new line runs via Maruyama, Shirin, Hokuto, and Kantau."}} In 1895, the Qing Empire ceded Formosa (Taiwan) to the Empire of Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War. The line was about {{convert|100|km|mi}} in length but in a poor condition when the Japanese arrived.{{sfnb|Davidson|1903|p=620}}{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=James W. |author-link=James W. Davidson |title=Formosa under Japanese rule |date=1903 |publisher=Japan Society |location=London |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012455485 |oclc=860694076 |page=47|ref=none}}{{cn|date=March 2022}} The railway was rebuilt and expanded under the {{ill|Railway Department|zh|臺灣總督府交通局鐵道部}} of the Government-General of Taiwan during Japanese rule.

Following the surrender of Japan in the aftermath of World War II, TRA was founded as a government organisation that falls under transport office of Taiwan Provincial Government in 1948. In 1998, it was transferred to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC) of the central government and employed around 13,500 people (4,700 in transportation and 7,700 in maintenance titles) and directly operated some 682 route miles of 3’6” (1,067 mm) gauge railways.{{when|date=January 2024}}Abbott, James (ed.) Jane’s World Railways, 38th Ed., Coulsdon, Surrey, England, 1996. Three mainlines form a complete circle around the island.{{Cite web |url=http://amonline.trb.org/~searchResults?searchMode=advanced&searchParam-PaperNo=11-1301 |title=Transportation Research Board Compendium of Papers Online Portal: Sea… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121228074522/http://amonline.trb.org/~searchResults?searchMode=advanced&searchParam-PaperNo=11-1301 |archive-date=28 December 2012 |url-status=dead}} TRA's West Coast line and Badu-Hualien section feature mostly double-track, electrification, modern colour light and cab signalling, overrun protection, and centralized traffic control (CTC).{{cite web |publisher=Taiwan Railways Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications |trans-title=TRA Signalling Equipment Maintenance Inspection Standard Operating Procedures |script-title=zh:交通部台灣鐵路管理局 號誌裝置養護檢查作業程序 |location=Banqiao |year=2003 |url=http://www.railway.gov.tw/admin/upload/kay00/號誌/號誌裝置養護檢查作業程序_公開.doc |format=doc |access-date=February 16, 2010}} South-link line, east coast Taitung (converted from 762 mm gauge), and three “tourist” branches are non-electrified single-track with passing sidings.

Because of the several hundred-billions TWD of liabilities, and the legal person type of TRA is considered a block for elasticity operations of railway systems, there were several campaigns and groups set up that aim to take privatization and corporatization actions for TRA since 1990s. In May 2022 the Legislative Yuan approved the Act for Establishment of State-owned Taiwan Railway Co., Ltd. The legislation provided that TRA will transit to a state-owned railway company, set up a fund to handle debts of TRA, retain its employees, and consider raising salaries by 3~5%.{{Cite news |last=Lu |first=Yifeng |date=27 May 2022 |title=台鐵公司化三讀通過 交通部年底完成16條子法審議 |work=UDN Taiwan |url=https://udn.com/news/story/7266/6345111 |access-date=11 October 2022}} TRA was incorporated as Taiwan Railway Corporation on January 1, 2024.{{cite news|last=Preston|first=Robert|date=2024-01-02|title=TRA becomes Taiwan Railway Corporation|url=https://www.railjournal.com/policy/tra-becomes-taiwan-railway-corporation/|work=International Railway Journal|access-date= 2024-01-14}}

• Taiwan Railway
• Rail transport in Taiwan
• Transportation in Taiwan
• Taiwan High Speed Rail
• Taipei Railway Workshop
• Taiwan Railway Bento

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• {{cite book |last = Davidson |first = James W. |author-link = James W. Davidson |title = The Island of Formosa, Past and Present : history, people, resources, and commercial prospects : tea, camphor, sugar, gold, coal, sulphur, economical plants, and other productions |year = 1903 |publisher = Macmillan |url = https://archive.org/details/islandofformosap00davi |location = London and New York |ol = 6931635M }}

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{{Commons category|Taiwan Railway Administration}}

• [https://www.railway.gov.tw/ Taiwan Railways Administration]
• Useful, user-friendly English website, including routes and schedules: [http://service.tra.gov.tw/en/ Taiwan Railways Administration (English website)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427073143/http://service.tra.gov.tw/en/ |date=27 April 2008 }}

{{Taiwan Rail Transport}}

{{Transport in Taiwan}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan)

Category:Government agencies disestablished in 2023

Category:Railway companies of Taiwan

Category:Railway companies established in 1948

Category:Railway companies disestablished in 2023

Category:1948 establishments in Taiwan

Category:2023 disestablishments in Taiwan

Category:Government-owned railway companies