The forest railway in the Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area in Yilan County is scheduled to resume service next month after being closed for six years.
Rides on the “Bong Bong” train on the 3km narrow-gauge line from Taipingshan Villa to Maosing Station were suspended after the railway was damaged during Typhoon Saola on Aug. 2, 2012, and damage by later typhoons held up repairs, said Wu Ssu-i (吳思儀), a division chief at the Forestry Bureau’s Luodong district office.
The Bong Bong train, so named because of the sound it makes, was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the forest recreation area.
Photo: CNA
It had been was scheduled to reopen in 2015, but the damage caused by two typhoons that year forced a delay.
Most of the line’s facilities have been repaired or renovated and are undergoing safety tests, Wu said.
A single ride on the train line, which was constructed to transport timber before logging operations on Taipingshan (太平山) were officially shut down in 1982, lasts about 20 minutes.
Once service is resumed, each 10-car train will be able to carry up to 90 passengers and will run every hour, Wu said, adding that the first train would depart at 7:30am and the last one at 2:30pm.
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