TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) on Monday (Feb. 7) appointed Taiwan Main Station's first female station master in its 135-year history.

On Monday, outgoing station chief Tu Wei-ting (涂維庭) handed over the reins to Hu Yung-chi (胡詠芝), the 25th station master of Taipei Main Station and the first in its history to be a woman. With more than 80% of its employees male, the TRA stated that Hu has stood out as an exceptional manager, and her promotion "symbolizes that the Taiwan Railways Administration is moving towards the promotion of younger staff and generational change."

Hu, 42, holds a Master's degree in transportation and logistics management from National Chiao Tung University. She began her tenure as a railway special examiner in 2009 and worked her way up to senior officer in 2016, reported the Liberty Times.

Starting in 2011, she served the TRA as an instructor of basic etiquette and service standards as well as an internal lecturer at the staff training center.

Hu said that she would like to make the Taipei Main Station a "good place where everyone likes to gather and have activities." However, she pointed out that the current focus is epidemic prevention and completing the construction of a new platform.

During Monday's ceremony, Tu was promoted to deputy head of the TRA's Taipei Transportation Division.

Tu, 40, holds a Master's degree from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Chung Hsing University and served as the station chief at the Shanjia, Yingge, Nangang, and Banqiao stations before taking up his post at Taipei Main Station.

(CNA photo)