Passengers on the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) cruise train will now be able to enjoy light meals or snacks in the trains’ new dining cars, the railway service said yesterday.
The TRA yesterday presented to the media one of its two new dining cars, on which it said it had spent NT$8 million (US$266,600) converting from express train carriages last year.
The state-run railway service suspended the operation of the dining cars in 1986 due to falling demand for the service.
Photo: CNA
Dennis Ju (朱來順), director of the TRA’s catering department, said the dining cars are equipped with large window panes so passengers can enjoy the scenery as they eat.
Ju said each dining car has three types of seating arrangements to accommodate one, two and four people at a table, adding that the carriages can seat a maximum of 30 passengers at a time.
The cars are also equipped with purple-colored seats, tables covered with white tablecloths and LED lighting.
The exterior of the dining car showed yesterday was decorated with girls resembling the characters in Japanese manga series Sailor Moon.
The menu offers passengers meat buns made by award-winning restaurant Ding Tai Fung, as well as more than a dozen other food and snack items, the prices of which range from NT$35 to NT$100.
Passengers can also choose from threes combo meals that cost NT$250 each.
All food is served to the diners by TRA personnel.
Ju said the first dining car will be added to the cruise train.
Starting in April next year, the second dining car will be added to the administration’s around-the-island tourism train, which is to be operated by a private contractor, he added.
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