Article courtesy Taipei Times (Content by Cheng Wei-chi and Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter, with staff writer)

The first two railway track inspectors recruited last year by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications began their seven-week training yesterday.

The inspectors are to be responsible for overseeing the safety of the operation of railway tracks upon completion of their training.

Following the example of the airline industry, the bureau created 42 vacancies for the position, which are still open to applications, to improve railway supervision, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said.

A ceremony was held yesterday morning at National Taipei University of Technology to mark the beginning of the training and a milestone in railway supervision.

The bureau has commissioned the university to provide the training, including organizing courses, inviting lecturers, arranging venues and preparing teaching materials, it said.

The training is divided into three seven-week stages, the first of which was to run from yesterday to April 26, followed by a second stage at the end of June and a third stage at the end of October, the bureau said.

The main focus of the training includes operating procedures and equipment examination, which would be taught in three stages with lessons and on-the-job training, it said.

The training comprises of common courses and specialty courses in transportation, construction, rolling stock and electricity, as well as on-the-job training in each specialty to broaden the knowledge and skills of railway inspectors at the bureau and its affiliated agencies, it added.

The training is to be attended by the railway track inspectors and employees working in the relevant business units, the bureau said.

Experts from the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board, the Institute of Transportation, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Sinotech Engineering Consultants Inc, CECI Engineering Consultants, Inc, National Taiwan University, National Taipei University of Technology and National Cheng Kung University would provide the training, it said.

The trainees have to complete the required training and pass a test at each stage before a certificate is awarded, the bureau said, adding that salaries for the railway track inspectors would be between NT$50,000 and NT$80,000 per month.