Rail transport in Taiwan
Encyclopedia
Taiwan
has an 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. In 2009, over 718.5 million passengers used the rail systems in Taiwan, averaging 1.96 million passengers per day.
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
—have rail transport).
After Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the push car railways
(臺車) was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s.
The railways of Taiwan include conventional rail, rapid transit systems, and high-speed rail
, as well as specialized railways for tourists and industry.
Long distance railways connecting several major cities and urban areas.
With the increasing urbanization of Taiwan, several urban rapid transit systems have been constructed with several more being planned.
.
's railway during the Qing dynasty
. Since then, major railways
in Taiwan have followed the cape gauge
standard. The Hualien–Taitung Line (臺東線) was once 2 ft 6 in (762 mm), but since 1982 it has been converted to cape gauge, while the Alishan Forest Railway
and the majority of Taiwan Sugar Railways
are still 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) railways. The Taipei Metro, Taiwan High Speed Rail
, and Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
all use standard gauge
rail.
has 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
.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
has an 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. In 2009, over 718.5 million passengers used the rail systems in Taiwan, averaging 1.96 million passengers per day.
Rail transport was introduced to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1891). Taiwan is the only part of the present-day Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC) to have rail transport (i.e., none of the small offshore islands—Quemoy (Kinmen), Matsu Islands
Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...
, Pratas, Wuchiu or Taiping
Taiping (island)
Itu Aba Island or Taiping Island , is the largest of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and the only island with a freshwater supply. The island is elliptical in shape being 1.4 km in length and 0.4 km in width...
—have rail transport).
After Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the push car railways
Taiwanese push car railways
Taiwanese push car railways were a historic transportation system on Taiwan, based on Japan's daisha push car railways. After Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the push car system was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s...
(臺車) was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s.
The railways of Taiwan include conventional rail, rapid transit systems, and high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
, as well as specialized railways for tourists and industry.
Intercity railways
 |
 |
 |
Long distance railways connecting several major cities and urban areas.
| Name | Chinese Name | Year opened | |Service status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Railway Administration Taiwan Railway Administration The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan... |
臺灣鐵路管理局 | 1891 | The TRA runs most of the main passenger and freight lines in Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... , forming a closed loop around the island, as well as several branch lines. |
| Taiwan High Speed Rail Taiwan High Speed Rail Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung... |
台灣高速鐵路 | 2007 | A high speed rail system based on Shinkansen Shinkansen The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a... technology, it runs along the western corridor from Taipei to Zuoying New Zuoying Station Xinzuoying Station or Zuoying Station , is a major railway station served by Taiwan Railway Administration, Taiwan High Speed Rail, and Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan... (Kaohsiung Kaohsiung Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China... ). |
Urban metro
 |
With the increasing urbanization of Taiwan, several urban rapid transit systems have been constructed with several more being planned.
| Name | Chinese Name | Year opened | |Service status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taipei Metro | 台北捷運 | 1996 | The Taipei Metro runs on an extensive network of VAL and elevated/underground metro Rapid transit A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on... systems throughout the metropolitan area of Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... . |
| Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System is a rapid transit system covering metropolitan Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Construction of the KMRT started in October 2001. The Red Line and the Orange Line opened on March 9 and September 14, 2008, respectively... |
高雄捷運 | 2008 | The KMRT runs a metro Rapid transit A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on... network throughout the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung Kaohsiung Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China... . The Red Line Red Line, KMRT The Red Line is the north-south mass transit line of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the first mass transit line built in southern Taiwan, started construction on October 24, 2001 and opened for service on March 9, 2008 with a month-long free ride service to April... is in operation as of March 9, 2008. The Orange Line Orange Line, KMRT The Orange Line is an East-West line of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It opened on September 14, 2008, the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, for a week-long free trial service... opened on September 14, 2008. Now another light rail Light rail Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems... system in downtown Kaohsiung are planned. |
| Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System |
台灣桃園機場 聯外捷運系統 |
2013 (planned) | This line will connect from Taipei Main Station Taipei Main Station Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region... , throughing Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and THSR Taoyuan Station THSR Taoyuan Station THSR Taoyuan Station is an underground station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail located in Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. It is also known as Chingpu Station .-Overview:The underground station has two side platforms... to Zhongli Zhongli Station (Taoyuan County) Zhongli Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located in Zhongli, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. It's the third busiest station in Taiwan.... . |
| Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit System Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit System Taoyuan Rail Transit is a proposed rapid transit system for the Taoyuan area in Taiwan. The proposed network will consist of five lines... |
桃園捷運 | 2013 (planned) | A section of route had merged into the Airport MRT System, with the extension currently under construction. More lines are still in the planning phase. |
| Taichung Metropolitan Area MRT System Taichung Metropolitan Area MRT System The Taichung Metro is a rapid transit system currently being constructed by the city government of Taichung, Taiwan . In addition to Taichung City, it may serve Changhua and Nantou counties.-Overview:The Taichung Metro Green Line is currently under construction, with completion scheduled for... |
台中捷運 | 2015 (planned) | The green line project was approved in 2004. It is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion by 2015. |
| Tainan MRT Transit System |
台南捷運 | To be determined | The Ministry of Transportation and Communications Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations... declined the proposal in January 2010, citing budget issues and deeming it premature. |
| Hsinchu MRT Transit System |
新竹捷運 | To be determined | Proposal declined along with Tainan MRT. |
Industrial and tourist railways
Originally built for the transportation of industrial products, these railroads have become tourist attractionsHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
.
- Alishan Forest RailwayAlishan Forest RailwayThe Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
(阿里山森林鐵路): A narrow gauge railway that runs from Chiayi CityChiayi-Administration:-City attractions:*Chiayi Park*Sun Shooting Tower *Lantan *Historic Archives Building of Chiayi City*University of Chiayi*Chiayi Museum...
to the popular mountain resort of AlishanAlishanThe Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway ...
. Originally built by the Japanese Colonial Government for the logging industry in 1912, this line now caters mostly to tourists.
- Taiwan Sugar RailwaysTaiwan Sugar RailwaysThe Taiwan Sugar Railways were an extensive series of gauge narrow gauge railways concentrated mostly in southern and central Taiwan which were originally built to haul sugarcane from the fields to the sugar mills, but also capable of providing limited passenger service.-Operations:Typically,...
(台灣糖業鐵路): An extensive series of narrow gauge lines mostly in central and southern Taiwan, originally built to haul sugarcaneSugarcaneSugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
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): A short 3 km (1.9 mi), 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.
Rail gauge
The earliest railway in Taiwan was the Liu MingchuanLiu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty. He adopted a style name of Xingsan . Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer...
's railway during the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. Since then, major railways
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
in Taiwan have followed the cape gauge
Cape gauge
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
standard. The Hualien–Taitung Line (臺東線) was once 2 ft 6 in (762 mm), but since 1982 it has been converted to cape gauge, while the Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Forest Railway
The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
and the majority of Taiwan Sugar Railways
Taiwan Sugar Railways
The Taiwan Sugar Railways were an extensive series of gauge narrow gauge railways concentrated mostly in southern and central Taiwan which were originally built to haul sugarcane from the fields to the sugar mills, but also capable of providing limited passenger service.-Operations:Typically,...
are still 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) railways. The Taipei Metro, Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
, and Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System is a rapid transit system covering metropolitan Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Construction of the KMRT started in October 2001. The Red Line and the Orange Line opened on March 9 and September 14, 2008, respectively...
all use standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
rail.
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 nostalgiaNostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
has 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
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
in Taiwan which has increased with the recent trend of Taiwanization
Taiwanization
Taiwanization , also known as the Taiwanese localization movement, is a political term used in Taiwan to emphasize the importance of a separate Taiwanese culture rather than to regard Taiwan as solely an appendage of China...
.
External links
- Taiwan Railway Club (Chinese)
- Taiwan railway scenery
- Twilight zone in Taiwan (Japanese)
- The Railways of Taiwan