The Jiji Line (集集線), one of the nation’s historical railway routes, is scheduled to reopen on Saturday after the service was suspended more than a year ago, the Taiwan Railway Administration said yesterday.
The railway operator also said it would allow free trips on the line for nine days. Those interested in taking rides on the Jiji line must first obtain free one-way trip passes, which are available at the Taichung, Changhua, Yuanlin (員林), Tianjhung (田中) and Ershuei (二水) train stations.
Return tickets are only available at the Jiji and Checheng (車埕) train stations.
Photo: Tseng Hung-ju, Taipei Times
Built during the Japanese colonial era, the 29.7km line was used to transport construction materials needed to build the power plant at Sun Moon Lake. The line runs from Ershuei Station in Changhua County to Checheng Station in Nantou County.
Among the seven tunnels along the route, six have existed for about 80 years. A relatively new tunnel on the line has also been around for 50 years.
The 921 Earthquake in 1999 caused severe damage to the tunnels. The railway operator decided to suspend operations between Longquan (龍泉) and Checheng in March to reinforce them and expand the width of the railway line. During renovation, trains could only operate between Ershuei and Longquan stations.
Taiwan Railway Administration Director-General Frank Fan (范植谷) said that only diesel rail cars could operate on the line in the past. Other types of cars can run on the line now that the reinforcement project is complete.
The railway operator estimates that the project will help raise the capacity of the Jiji Line from 300,000 to 500,000 passengers per year, adding that the nine days of free rides could attract 90,000 passengers.
The railway operator said it had planned to arrange a total of 26 trips per day between Ershuei and Checheng.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS