Rail transport in Taiwan

Taiwan has an extremely extensive network of railways (1496 km as of 2003). Though no longer as dominant as it once was, Taiwan's high population density continues to make rail transport an extremely important form of transportation, especially along the densely populated western corridor.

Rail transport was introduced to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty (1891). Taiwan is the only part of the present-day Republic of China (ROC) to have rail transport (i.e. none of the small offshore islands—Quemoy (Kinmen), Matsu Islands, Pratas, Wuchiu or Taiping—has rail transport).

The Railways of the Taiwan can generally be categorized into the following groups:

Interurban railways

Long distance railways connecting several major cities and urban areas.

* Taiwan Railway Administration (台灣鐵路管理局): The TRA runs most of the main passenger and freight lines in Taiwan forming a closed loop around the island, as well as three branch lines.

* Taiwan High Speed Rail (台灣高速鐵路): High speed rail system based on Shinkansen technology, running along the western corridor. Operation began on January 5, 2007.

Urban metro

With the increasing urbanization of Taiwan, several urban rapid transit systems have been constructed with several more being planned.

* Taipei Rapid Transit System (台北大眾捷運系統): The TRTS (also known as the MRT, or MetroTaipei) runs an extensive network of VAL and elevated/underground metro systems throughout the metropolitan Taipei area.

* Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System (台灣桃園機場聯外捷運系統): This line will connect Taipei Main Station, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and THSR Taoyuan Station. Construction begun in 2006. Scheduled for service in 2012.

* Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (高雄捷運系統): Underground metro system in Kaohsiung. The red line is in operation as of March 9, 2008. The orange line opened on September 14, 2008.
* Kaohsiung Light Rail: Light rail system in downtown Kaohsiung.

* Taichung Metropolitan Area MRT System (台中捷運): The project was approved in 2004. Scheduled for service in 2011.

* Hsinchu Mass Rapid Transit System (台北大眾捷運系統): Hsinchu's MRT is scheduled to be completed and ready for service in 2010.

* Tainan Mass Rapid Transit System (台北大眾捷運系統): Though not quite the same as MRT's as seen elsewhere, the City of Tainan is building a metro railway to connect Tainan Train Station more conveniently to the Tainan High Speed Rail Station. It is also scheduled for completion in 2010.

Industrial & tourist railways

Originally built for the transportation of industrial products, these railroads have become tourist attractions.

* Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵路): A narrow gauge railway that runs from Chiayi City to the popular mountain resort of Alishan. Originally built by the Japanese Colonial Government for the logging industry in 1912, this line now caters mostly to tourists.

* Taiwan Sugar Railways (台灣糖業鐵路): An extensive series of narrow gauge lines mostly in central and southern Taiwan, originally built to haul sugarcane by Meiji Sugar Co., Ltd. during Japanese rule, but also capable of providing limited passenger service. Regular passenger services discontinued in 1982. In 2003, some short-distance train services resumed.

*Taiping Mountain Forest Railway (太平山森林鐵路): Short 3 km narrow gauge rail line running through the Taiping Mountain Scenic Area in Yilan County, originally constructed in 1924 for the logging industry, now a popular tourist attraction.

Cultural

Because of the Taiwan's extensive rail network (including many now defunct industrial narrow gauge lines which provided passenger service to rural areas), railways in Taiwan often have a romantic connotation, especially amongst the older generation who remember growing up when rail travel was the primary means of transportation between cities in simpler (and less prosperous) times. Many remember leaving their hometowns to attend school in far away cities by train or leaving via train to perform their compulsory military service. This nostalgia has often been capitalized upon in recent years through the introduction of various items such as "nostalgia box lunches" (懷舊便當), claimed to be authentic copies of the box lunches that were once served aboard trains.

There is also a sizable network of railway fans in Taiwan which has increased with the recent trend of Taiwanization.

ee also

*Transportation in Taiwan

External links

* [http://taiwan-railway-club.com.tw/ Taiwan Railway Club] (Chinese)
* [http://www.travel-taiwan-rail.idv.tw/ Taiwan railway scenery]
* [http://www.ilha-formosa.com/ Twilight zone in Taiwan] (Japanese)
* [http://www.geocities.com/mr_shawn_naylor/asian_rails/taiwan/rrintro.html Railways of Taiwan from Asian Rails]
* [http://www.taiwanrailways.com The Railways of Taiwan]