Taiwan's Alishan Forest Railway has been named the fifth most beautiful train journey in the world, after a new eye-tracking study conducted by travel insurance specialist InsureandGo.
The UK-based firm analyzed 24 well-known rail routes across the globe, tracking the eye movements of 100 participants.
The company recorded how quickly each scene captured attention — the “time to first fixation” — as well as how long it held viewers’ gaze.
Photo: Thomas Bird, Taipei Times
It then used the data to compile a list of the 15 most visually appealing train journeys, spanning six continents and 12 countries, from the Australian outback to the high-altitude mountains of Peru.
Japan’s Sagano Romantic Train took the top spot, offering views across the Hozugawa River Valley, followed by the Bernina Express, which connects Switzerland and Italy, and the Glacier Express in Switzerland.
Four of the top 10 routes were in Europe, while Australia is home to two of the top 15, the study found.
The Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi County ranked in fifth, with an average viewing duration of 1.89 seconds and a time to first fixation of 2.03 seconds, InsureandGo said.
The route “doesn’t always get the international recognition it deserves,” the company said, despite offering views ranging from forest landscapes to tea plantations and reaching altitudes of more than 2,000m.
The company added it hopes to promote train travel as a more sustainable way to travel, offering a slower pace and “once-in-a-lifetime" views.
The full study can be seen here.
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