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Alishan railway resumes operations in time for festival

Sightseers watch as a train passes by blossoming cherry trees on the Alishan narrow-gauge mountain railway in Chiayi County yesterday. PHOTO: WANG SHAN-YEN, TAIPEI TIMES

The Alishan railway system resumed services on Saturday after a two-day suspension for an overhaul to ensure it was safe before the opening of the cherry blossom festival yesterday.

Alishan in Chiayi County is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the nation, offering famous views of the sunrise, serene mountain landscapes and ancient trees. The railway leading up the mountain is said to be one of just three remaining alpine railways in the world.

Ever since private company Hungtu Alishan took over the operation of the system from the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau last June, it has encountered a series of problems, including typhoons and torrential rain.

A section of the 71.4km-long railway was seriously eroded last summer after torrential rain and has yet to be repaired.

The train has to stop at this point and all the passengers are required to walk about 500m and board another train on the other side of the dangerous section if they wish to continue their trip.

In addition, 24 out of the 30 train drivers on the line tendered their resignations and have threatened to quit en masse on March 28 because of discontent over low wages. Hungtu is negotiating with the drivers to try to persuade them to stay in their posts.

The month-long Alishan cherry blossom festival began yesterday. Among the great variety of cherry trees found in the Alishan forest area, the white-blossomed Yoshino cherry from Japan is the most famous, forming a vast sea of white flowers when in full bloom. It draws about 100,000 visitors to admire its beauty.

Alishan is the only place in Taiwan with such large-scale Yoshino cherry tree coverage.
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