Taiwan's Alishan Forest Railway Resumes Operations With New Tourist Charter Trains

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan has fully resumed operations after a 15-year hiatus and introduced two new tourist charter trains, the Formosensis and Vivid Express, offering unique tour packages designed to revitalise railway travel and attract visitors.

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 cypress.

Meanwhile, converted from old carriages and inspired by the Alishan Forest Railway, the Vivid Express showcases a vibrant exterior with interwoven blue, orange, white and yellow colours.

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In 1903, planning for the Alishan Forest Railway began under the Government-General of Taiwan, with construction from Chiayi to Zhuqi starting in 1906.

According to a statement, Typhoon Morakot severely damaged the railway, halting all services in 2009 and despite extensive repairs, Typhoon Dujuan in 2015 further delayed the reopening.

However, after overcoming numerous challenges, the new No. 42 tunnel was completed last month, allowing the railway to fully reopen and 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, along with a specially designed hill-climbing locomotive, showcasing significant industrial and cultural value.

In recent years, Taiwan's railway tourism offerings have gained popularity, whereby the former sugar railways, once used for transporting sugarcane, have also been repurposed for tourism.

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, in which these vintage trains are gradually reshaping the landscape of Taiwan's railway tourism.

-- BERNAMA