The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) is about to put tickets on sale for a steam train service powered by the CK-124 model locomotive to celebrate the Railway Festival next month.
The festival falls on June 9, a Tuesday, but the steam train service will be offered on June 7, the preceding Sunday.
Steam train devotees planning to take the train can purchase the tickets at TRA stations in Taichung, Fengyuan (豐原) and Changhua this Saturday from 8am.
Each person can only buy a maximum of four tickets.
Only 160 reserved seats will be offered, the TRA said.
Each ticket costs NT$688, with no discounts for children.
Passengers whose birthday fall on June 9 can buy one ticket and get one free.
Passengers will also receive souvenirs from the TRA — including caps, mobile phone straps with figurines of a TRA train crew and a certificate for boarding the steamer.
The train will take the mountain route that leaves from Changhua station and arrives at Fengyuan, the TRA said.
On the return trip, the train will take the coastal route that goes from Dajia (大甲) and Jhueifen (追分) to Changhua.
The CK-124 model locomotive will be attached to three train cars of the diesel-powered Kuanghwa-class Express (光華號), which was the fastest train service before the TRA routes were electrified.
Operating on a narrow-gauge railway system, the Kuanghwa Express could go up to 70kph.
During the prime of the Kuanghwa Express era, each cabin featured a female attendant to provide tea and small towels to passengers.
Passengers could also purchase newspapers, magazines and snacks on board.
The Kuanghwa Express service was halted in 1997.
RSS