The scenic Old Mountain Line (舊山線) is scheduled to resume operations tomorrow, with the pilot run featuring a CK124-model steam train.
The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) suspended services on the line after the opening of New Mountain Line in 1998.
The 15.9km-long old railway line passes through several historic sites, including Shengsing Train Station (勝興車站) and the Broken Longteng Bridge (龍騰斷橋).
PHOTO: CNA
Shengsing Train Station was built in the Japanese colonial era, and the entire framework of the building was made of wood. It is also the highest station in the TRA system at 402m above sea level.
Longteng Bridge was damaged by an earthquake that shook the nation in 1935. The bridge was never repaired and is one of the most popular scenic spots in Miaoli.
The nation’s largest railway spent about NT$200 million (US$6.25 million) repairing the railway tracks and other facilities on the Old Mountain Line so that it was fit for use.
TRA director-general Frank Fan (范植谷) said that maintaining the Old Mountain Line had caused it to suffer financial losses up to NT$100 million.
“We want to have a trial operation [of the Old Mountain Line] for three months to test the reaction from the market,” Fan said.
“Then we will be able to evaluate the results and amend plans to outsource the operation to a private contractor,” he said.
The TRA is also proposing to outsource the operation under the renovate-operate-transfer (ROT) model. It estimates that the Old Mountain Line, once in service, could draw 750,000 tourists a year, which could generate a total revenue of NT$$300 million per year.
Aside from the Old Mountain Line, the TRA also has three branch lines, including the Pingxi Line (平溪線), Neiwan Line (內灣線) and the Jiji Line (集集線).
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS