Taiwan's Scenic Alishan Forest Railway Resumes Service After 15-Year Hiatus
06 Agosto 2024 - 4:44AM
Business Wire
The Alishan Forest Railway fully resumed operations after a
15-year hiatus and introduced two new tourist charter trains, the
Formosensis and Vivid Express, each offering unique tour packages
designed to revitalize railway travel and attract visitors.
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The Alishan Forest Railway resumes
service after 15 years, with new tourist charter trains joining the
service. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Formosensis features large cypress wood panels, with its
exterior boosting black window frames adorned with red trim and an
interior ambiance that fills the air with distinctive aromas of
Taiwan red cypress and Taiwan cypress. The Vivid Express, converted
from old carriages and inspired by the Alishan Forest Railway,
showcases a vibrant exterior with interwoven blue, orange, white,
and yellow colors.
In 1903, planning for the Alishan Forest Railway began under the
Government-General of Taiwan, with construction from Chiayi to
Zhuqi starting in 1906. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot severely damaged
the railway, halting all services. Despite extensive repairs,
Typhoon Dujuan in 2015 further delayed the reopening.
This July, after overcoming numerous challenges, the new No. 42
tunnel was completed, allowing the railway to fully reopen. Even
after a 15-year hiatus, the century-old railway's charm remains
undiminished. The "Alishan Forest and Railway Cultural Landscape"
has become Taiwan's first nationally significant cultural
landscape.
The Alishan Forest Railway employs four railway track
construction methods to overcome the challenging mountainous
terrain such as spiral route, zigzag switchback, Ω-type turn, along
with a specially designed hill-climbing locomotive, showcasing
significant industrial and cultural value.
Taiwan's Public Television Service and Japan's NHK collaborated
to produce the documentary "Sacred Trees Forest: Alishan Forest
Railway Journey" in 8K video resolution with a 22.2 multichannel
sound system. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency also
published a book in Chinese, English, and Japanese, "Echoes Along
the 2421m Ascent: Travelogue of the Alishan Forest Railway,"
presenting the magnificent scenery and rich railway culture of
Alishan to the world.
In recent years, Taiwan's railway tourism offerings have gained
popularity. Beyond the well-known forest railway, the former sugar
railways, once used for transporting sugarcane, have also been
repurposed for tourism. Centered around the Suantou Sugar Factory
Cultural Park in Chiayi, the THSR Chiayi Station and the Southern
Branch of the National Palace Museum are connected by Taiwan's
first sugar railway that links major national transportation
infrastructure and key cultural sites. Meanwhile, Taisugar's
vintage train continues to operate within the Sinying Railway
Scenic Park.
Additionally, the "Breezy Blue Train," a repurposed vintage blue
train that typically runs on the South Link Line, has gained
popularity since its launch in 2021. These vintage trains are
gradually reshaping the landscape of Taiwan's railway tourism.
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