A disused train station in Taitung County’s Taimali Township (太麻里), which is hailed for its beautiful views, is expected to reopen next month following more than three months of renovations.
Duoliang Village’s (多良) Duoliang Station — which is solely a tourist site after rail services there were halted in 2006 due to low ridership numbers — was closed on March 31 for upgrades.
People are not permitted on the platform for safety reasons, but the Taitung County Government is upgrading its observation deck, giving it mock tracks and a sign.
Photo: Wang Hsiu-ting, Taipei Times
It has also installed an “I Love Duoliang” sign next to a new path connecting the station to the Sunrise Driftwood Workshop.
Taitung County Commissioner Rao Qing-ling (饒慶鈴), Taimali Mayor Wang Chung-jen (王重仁), Daren Township (達仁) Mayor Chen Hsin-hui (陳新輝), and Taitung County councilors Weng Li-yin (翁麗吟) and Chang Cheng-hui (章正輝) visited the station on Thursday last week.
Slight adjustments have been made to improve the flow of people, Rao said.
The entrance to the observation deck has been moved to the north, giving vendors and visitors more room, she said.
People would also be able to walk between the station and the workshop, and there are plans to connect the station to Calavig, a Paiwan community in Duoliang.
County officials are expected to inspect the site and recruit vendors later this month and the station is to reopen on July 1, she said.
The renovations are part of the first phase of a NT$38 million (US$1.2 million) project by the county government to promote development of the tourism industry in Aboriginal areas, officials said.
Work is also being done in Calavig and Daren’s Nantian Coast Water Park, they said.
Rao thanked the Taimali Township Office, Duoliang Village and the Duoliang Community Development Association, adding that she is confident the work would boost tourism in Duoliang.
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