Taiwan Railways' automated Hsinchu Branch Line mechanical semaphore signals become history

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi | Compiled and Reported

In response to the need for more convenient urban transportation in the Greater Hsinchu area, the TRA completed the connection between Hsinchu Station and the High-Speed Rail Liujia Station on November 11, 2011. It has since continued to improve the facilities of the Hsinchu Branch Line. Aside from renovating aging station buildings, it also upgraded the signaling system to automation to enhance railway operational efficiency. After stability tests of the automated signaling system from late October 2012, the automated signaling system was officially put into use yesterday (the 13th), marking the full retirement of the 50-year-old mechanical semaphore signals on the Hsinchu Branch Line.

Mechanical semaphore signals once played a pivotal role in railway safety throughout railway history. With advancements in technology and increasing train frequency, they have gradually faded from modern railway operations. In the future, TRA will properly preserve these retired railway transport veterans in regional railway museums, allowing nostalgic visitors and rail enthusiasts to revisit railway heritage.

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