The Miaoli County Government on Thursday announced that the county’s “rail bike” system is to begin operations on Monday.
The rail bike system allows visitors to ride four-seat, pedal-powered rail cars along the former “Old Mountain Line” railway line and enjoy the scenic view in an environmentally friendly and healthy way, Miaoli County Commissioner Hsu Yao-chang (徐耀昌) said.
The county government has put a lot of effort into revitalizing the former Taiwan Railways Administration branch line that formerly ran from Sanyi Township (三義) to Houli Township (后里) for tourism purposes, Hsu said.
Photo: Peng Chien-li, Taipei Times
Services on the branch line were suspended in 1998. A steam locomotive was introduced to the line in 2010 in an attempt to attract tourists.
The rail bike system, which has three routes and runs from Shengsing Station (勝興) to Liyutan (鯉魚潭), would help focus international attention on Miaoli, he said.
The system has been used by 250,000 people since its trial run began on Aug. 1 last year, the Miaoli County Tourism Bureau said.
Route A costs NT$275 and runs for 8km from Shengsing Station to the bridge foundations at Yutengping (魚騰坪), the county government said.
Route B costs NT$220 and runs for 7.2km from Longteng Station (龍騰) to Shengsing Station, while route C costs NT$275 and runs for 4.8km from Longteng Station to the north exit of tunnel No. 6, it said.
The county government estimates that with 110 rail cars on the three different routes it could attract 2,000 riders per day.
The county government has also arranged a two-year collaboration with the Shinano Railway Line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
People can exchange rail bike tickets and for a two-day ticket on the Shinano line free of charge, the county government said.
Shinano Railway Line has gifted the county government a capsule toy vending machine, the proceeds of which would be used to fund the Longteng branch of Yuying Elementary School, as well as Liyu and Chiaocheng elementary schools, the county government said.
Minister Without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) praised the new rail car system, saying that it would do what the steam locomotive could not and bring in more tourists, adding that he was certain the system would bring about greater tourism development in the county.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS