The
Taiwan Railway Administration (abbreviated TRA) is an agency of the
TaiwanThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
Ministry of Transportation and Communications responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
(
gaugeRail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two parallel rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers to the meeting of...
: 1067 mm). As Taiwan is heavily urbanized with a high population density, railways have always played an important part in domestic transportation. Most of the main lines are fully electrified and service is generally efficient and reliable.
Recent growth in the
highway systemHighways in Taiwan are classified into four types:# National highways: 1 - 10# Provincial highways: 1 - 28, 61 - 88# County routes: 101 - 205# Township routes-The numbering system:...
and increased competition from bus companies and airlines has led to a decline in long distance rail travel (except during major holidays such as
Chinese New YearChinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year, especially by people in mainland China and Taiwan. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the...
), though short and intermediate distance travel is still heavily utilized by commuters and students. The
high-speed railTaiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail network that runs along the west coast of Taiwan. It is approximately long, and runs from Taipei City to Kaohsiung City. THSR began operation on January 5, 2007....
line is not run by TRA, and is also a major source of competition. To offset this TRA has begun placing an emphasis on
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
and short-distance commuter service. This has led to several special tourist trains running to scenic areas and hot springs, the addition of dining cars (originally deemed unnecessary due to Taiwan's relatively small size), and converting several smaller branch lines to attract tourists. Additionally, several new stations have been added in major metropolitan areas, and local commuter service increased.
Routes
TRA runs the four main rail lines forming a closed loop around the main island of Taiwan, and three smaller branch lines.
Main Lines
- Western Line
The Western Line is a railway line of the Taiwan Railway Administration running along Taiwan's densely populated western corridor. As a result of this, it remains the busiest rail line in Taiwan. The concept "Western Line" is actually a combination of 3 different line sections...
(西部幹線): Keelung City to Kaohsiung City
- Taichung Line
The Taichung Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is also known as the Mountain Line. It has a total length of 87.6 km, of which all but 2.1 km is double track.-History:...
(台中線): Jhunan, MiaoliZhúnán is an urban township in northern Miaoli County, Taiwan .*Area: 37.56 km²*Population: 71,810 people -Sights and facilities:...
to Changhua CityChanghua City is the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. At one time an activity area of the Babuza Taiwanese aborigines, its name derives from the aboriginal word Poasoa ....
; among TaichungTaichung is a city located in west-central Republic of China with a population of just over one million people, making it the third largest city on the island after Taipei and Kaohsiung. The city presently constitutes a provincial city apart from the adjacent Taichung County...
- Sea Line : Zhunan, Miaoli
Zhúnán is an urban township in northern Miaoli County, Taiwan .*Area: 37.56 km²*Population: 71,810 people -Sights and facilities:...
to Changhua CityChanghua City is the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. At one time an activity area of the Babuza Taiwanese aborigines, its name derives from the aboriginal word Poasoa ....
; among DajiaDajia may refer to:*Dajia River, river in north-central Taiwan*Dajia Station, railway station in Taichung County, Taiwan*Dajia, Taichung, township in Taichung County, Taiwan...
, Taichung
- Pingtung Line
The Pingtung Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is 61.3 km long, of which 20.9 km is double track. -History:This railroad was completed in 1941.It is electrified with two tracks from Kaohsiung to Pingtung....
(屏東線): Kaohsiung City to Fangliao, PingtungFangliao is a rural township in Pingtung County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. It was the site where Japanese forces landed and completed the encirclement of Tainan during Japanese Invasion of Taiwan...
- Eastern Line (東部幹線):
- Yilan Line
The Yilan Line is the northern section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It has a length of 95 km. -History:...
(宜蘭線): Badu to Su'ao, YilanSu-ao , located in southern Yilan County, Taiwan, is an urban township that is famous for its seafood restaurants and cold springs. It is the destination of National Highway No. 5, Su-ao-Hualian Express Way, and North-Link Line of Taiwan Railway Administration...
- North-Link Line
The North-Link Line is the central section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It has a total length of 86.6 km, including the 7.4 km segment beween Beipu and Hualien Port. -History:...
(北迴線): Su'aosin, Yilan to Hualian City
- Hua-dong Line
The Taitung Line is the southern section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. This line is started in Hualien Station and ended in Taitung Station, so called Hualien-Taitung Line in general.
It is 161.5 km long, including the main segment of 155.7 km between...
(花東線): Hualian City to Taitung CityTaitung City is the capital of Taitung County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean....
- South-Link Line
The South-Link Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration running along the south end of the island of Taiwan, connecting the eastern and western coasts. It is 98.2 km long, of which 81.4 km is single track...
(南迴線): Fangliao, PingtungFangliao is a rural township in Pingtung County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. It was the site where Japanese forces landed and completed the encirclement of Tainan during Japanese Invasion of Taiwan...
to Taitung CityTaitung City is the capital of Taitung County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean....
Passenger service
- Pingxi Line
The Pingxi Line is a 12.9 km long, single-track branch of the Yilan Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It runs through the Ruifang and Pingxi Townships in the Taipei County.-Services:...
(平溪線): Sandiaoling - Jingtong, Taipei County
- Linkou Line
The Linkou Line is a railway branch line in Taiwan run by the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is located in Taoyuan County and Taipei County.-History:...
(林口線): Taoyuan, Youyuan County - Linkou, Taipei County
- Neiwan Line
]The Neiwan Line is a railway branch line in Taiwan run by the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is located in Hsinchu County.-History:...
(內灣線): Hsinchu - Neiwan, Hsinchu County
- Jiji Line
The Jiji Line is a branch line of the Taiwan Railway Administration, located in Changhua and Nantou Counties in Taiwan. The length of the line is 29.7km.-History:...
(集集線): Ershuei, Changhua County - Checheng, Nantou County
Freight only
- Keelung Harbor Line
- Hualien Harbor Line
- Taichung Harbor Line
- Kaohsiung Harbor Line
Under Construction
- Liujia Line (六家線) : the adaption paralleled with Neiwan Line
]The Neiwan Line is a railway branch line in Taiwan run by the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is located in Hsinchu County.-History:...
- Shalun Line (沙崙線) : Zhongzhou - Shalun, Tainan County
Redesign
- Shen'ao Line (深澳線): Ruifang, Taipei County - Shenao, Taipei County
- Old Taichung Line (舊山線): Segment located in Miaoli County, closed in 1998. Now a minor tourist attraction. Shengxing Station
Shengsing Station was a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line in Miaoli County, Taiwan. This Station was closed on September 24, 1998 due to route change of the trunk line. It is now a tourist spot surrounded by a cluster of tea shops and traditional Hakka restaurants....
has been declared a historical site.
Defunct
- Donggang Line (東港線): Zhenan, Pingtung County - Donggang, Pingtung County. Passenger service discontinued in 1991, completely closed in 2002.
- Danshui TRA Line
The Danshui Line is a non-operational Taiwanese railroad branch line, located in Taipei County and operated by the Taiwan Railway Administration . It connected the city of Taipei with the town of Danshui.-History:...
(淡水線): Taipei Main StationTaipei Station or Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan , where different types of public transport systems converge. The Taipei Railway Station is at the center of this region...
- Danshui, Taipei County. Replaced by Taipei Rapid Transit SystemThe Taipei Rapid Transit System, also known as the MRT or the Taipei Metro, is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Taipei metropolitan area, Republic of China. The network includes 92.9 km of rail with 80 stations and includes both underground, at-grade, and elevated routes...
's Danshui LineThe Taipei Metro Danshui Line is a high-capacity underground, at-grade, and elevated line. The right-of-way was originally occupied by the conventional rail Danshui TRA Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration, which closed in 1988. The 23.2-km route includes 21 stations and the Beitou...
.
Service
Trains are divided into five classes, higher classes generally stop at fewer stations resulting in faster service. The classes are:
- Tzu-Chian
Tzu-Chiang Trains are class of trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration . Of the 5 classes operated by the TRA, Tzu-Chiang trains are the highest category. Ticketing is done on the basis of mileage .This service is run with the E1000 push-pull, the EMU 1200, EMU 300, DR2800 and DR3100...
(Tsu-chiang / 自強): The fastest (and most expensive). Assigned seating. Non-reserved (standing) tickets are also sold at full price. There are 3 types of Tsz-chiang: EMU electric multiple unit (brown, now red), push-pull (orange/silver) and diesel (yellow/silver). Tickets for all 3 types of Tsz-chiang are the same price.
- Chu-Kuang (Chu-kwang / 莒光): Second fastest. Assigned seating. Non-reserved tickets are sold at 80% of original price.
- Fu-hsing (Fu-shing / 復興): Third fastest. Assigned seating. Non-reserved tickets are sold at 80% of original price. Scheduled to be phased out.
- Local Express(區間快車): Usually run on the Ocean line and Yilan line. Fu-hsing service at a local train's price. Launched in 2007.
- Local Train (區間車): Short to medium distance commuter train, stops at all stations. No assigned seating. The former EMU (Electric multiple unit / 電車) and DRC (Diesel railcar / 柴客).
- Express / Ordinary (普通): Stops at all stations, no air conditioning, most inexpensive. No assigned seating. Some Express trains (the light blue ones running on West Trunk Line) are air-conditioned while others (dark blue ones) are not equipped with air conditioners. Currently operational only on the southern end of the Western Line and being phased out with termination of service expected by the end of 2006. No longer running on the west coast.
- Diesel Express: Only available on East Trunk Line and South Link Line. Mainly serve as commuter trains. No air conditioning. Tickets are the same price as Express and Ordinary.
With the exception of the Ordinary trains, all trains are modern and air conditioned. Many of the Ordinary train cars, on the other hand, are almost 40 to 50 years old, and provide an interesting experience for the more historically minded.
History
Source:
- 1887: Construction begins on first railway in Taiwan between Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders Taipei County and forms the Taipei-Keelung metropolitan area, along with the City and County of Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest...
and TaipeiTaipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
by Ching Dynasty governor Liu Min-Chuan
- 1891: First rail line completed
- 1895: Taiwan ceded to Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
following the end of the First Sino-Japanese WarThe First Sino-Japanese War was a war fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over the control of Korea...
. Ministry of Taiwan Railway established by the Japanese Government.
- 1908: The Japanese colonial government extends the railways to Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into eleven districts...
.
- 1922: Coastal Line (Jhunan - Changhua) completed.
- 1924: Yilan Line (Badu - Su-ao) completed.
- 1926: Huatung Line (Hualien - Taitung
Taitung may refer to* Taitung County* Taitung City* Taitung Plain...
) completed.
- 1941: Pingtung Line (Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan. It is enclosed by Kaohsiung County, and faces the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into eleven districts...
- Fangliao) completed.
- 1940-1945: The railways are repeatedly bombed by the Allies during World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- 1945: Taiwan is handed over to the ROC
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
, Taiwan Railway Administration established.
- 1979: Western Line fully electrified. North-link line completed.
- 1989: Rail lines running through downtown Taipei
Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital of the Republic of China since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is situated on the Danshui River, almost at the northern tip of the island, about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
moved underground. New Taipei Main Station completed.
- 1991: South-link Line completed, completing the rail loop around Taiwan.
- 1997: Online reservations become available.
- 2000: Yilan Line electrified.
- 2001: Various special trains targeting tourists are offered.
- 2003: North-link Line electrified.
See also
- Rail transport in Taiwan
Taiwan has an extremely extensive network of railways . 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...
- Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail network that runs along the west coast of Taiwan. It is approximately long, and runs from Taipei City to Kaohsiung City. THSR began operation on January 5, 2007....
- Transportation in Taiwan
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is the cabinet level governing body for Taiwan's transportation network.- Roads :* Total length: 38,197 km ** National highway: 901 km** Provincial highway: 4,680 km...
- Taipei Main Station
Taipei Station or Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan , where different types of public transport systems converge. The Taipei Railway Station is at the center of this region...
- Taroko Express
The Taroko Express is a tilting train of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is named after Taroko Gorge and Truku people.The Taroko Express trains are Electrical Multiple Units called TEMU1000 and based on the...
External links