The “cruise train” service launched by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) last month has increased railway tourism and helped revitalize some railway stations that were no longer in use or rarely used.
The TRA launched its cruise trains last month to allow travelers the opportunity to tour the south and east by train, with long stops at select stations to give tourists time to see the sites.
The South Line from Kaohsiung to Taitung was one of the routes chosen for the service.
Several train stations along the 98.2km route had not been in use for a while, including Duoliang (多良), Sanhe (三和), Sianglan (香蘭), Fushan (富山) and Puan (菩安), all of which are in Taitung County.
Duoliang Station is particularly scenic, offering an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean from the platform.
The TRA closed Duoliang Station two years ago because of low traffic.
The Fangye (枋野) Signal Control Station on the South Line is another highlight of the trip.
The post in the mountains of Pingtung County was built to monitor the loushanfeng (落山風) phenomenon, winds that generally occur in the area of Hengchun (恆春) between October and April.
However, the TRA has at times had to cancel services to the station because of strong winds.
The TRA’s cruise train service has made stops at Duoliang and Fangye and let travelers explore each for an hour or so before boarding the train again.
The TRA says the service has attracted strong interest, and it is considering running one cruise train per day between Monday and Thursday on a few routes.
In addition to the South Line, the TRA has arranged cruise trains on the Ilan route and the Hualien-Taitung line, passing through the scenic northeast region.
TRA Deputy Director-General Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said yesterday that demand would determine whether Duoliang Station would resume regular operations again.
The administration is focusing on attracting visitors to Duoliang and other scenic stations on the South Line this month and next month, he said.
“When the weather gets cooler in November, we may consider making Chihpen (知本) of Taitung County a selling point by working with the hot springs service operators,” he said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese