TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The two newly purchased R200 diesel-electric locomotives can transport heavy military equipment, Taiwan Railway Corporation (TRC) Chair Du Wei (杜微) said on Sunday (Feb. 4).
The locomotives, which were bought in July, have immense horsepower and can transport more weight in a shorter time, Du said, per Liberty Times. In the future, they can be used to move HIMARs systems and next-generation Clouded Leopard armored vehicles, he said.
TRC will continue to work toward improving transportation in line with national policies, Du said. It will collaborate with the military and freight companies to plan better joint transportation programs and implement relevant training, he added.
Ministry of National Defense transportation head Lieutenant General Li Shi-jie (李世傑) recently visited TRC to discuss future military transportation matters. Talks covered adding transport equipment and bridge plates, improving brake vans, building new mobile platform terminals, and expanding training for cargo loading.
TRC General Manager Feng Hui-sheng (馮輝昇) said that the military specifically raised concerns about many of the military transportation platforms' gangways that have been in use for an extended period and need replacement. This would facilitate the boarding and disembarking of jeeps and tanks more effectively, he said.
Additionally, the gangways used in the past were mostly made of wood and there are considerations to replace them with more durable materials.
The locomotives are expected to complete testing in February and be put into freight service in March. They can travel at a maximum speed of 120 kph.