TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- The Alishan Forest Railway fully resumed operations after a 15-year hiatus and introduced two new tourist charter trains, the Formosensis and Vivid Express, each offering unique tour packages designed to revitalize railway travel and attract visitors.

The Formosensis features large cypress wood panels, with its exterior boosting black window frames adorned with red trim and an interior ambiance that fills the air with distinctive aromas of Taiwan red cypress and Taiwan cypress. The Vivid Express, converted from old carriages and inspired by the Alishan Forest Railway, showcases a vibrant exterior with interwoven blue, orange, white, and yellow colors.

In 1903, planning for the Alishan Forest Railway began under the Government-General of Taiwan, with construction from Chiayi to Zhuqi starting in 1906. In 2009, Typhoon Morakot severely damaged the railway, halting all services. Despite extensive repairs, Typhoon Dujuan in 2015 further delayed the reopening.

This July, after overcoming numerous challenges, the new No. 42 tunnel was completed, allowing the railway to fully reopen. Even after a 15-year hiatus, the century-old railway’s charm remains undiminished. The “Alishan Forest and Railway Cultural Landscape” has become Taiwan’s first nationally significant cultural landscape.

The Alishan Forest Railway employs four railway track construction methods to overcome the challenging mountainous terrain such as spiral route, zigzag switchback, Ω-type turn, along with a specially designed hill-climbing locomotive, showcasing significant industrial and cultural value.

Taiwan’s Public Television Service and Japan’s NHK collaborated to produce the documentary “Sacred Trees Forest: Alishan Forest Railway Journey” in 8K video resolution with a 22.2 multichannel sound system. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency also published a book in Chinese, English, and Japanese, “Echoes Along the 2421m Ascent: Travelogue of the Alishan Forest Railway,” presenting the magnificent scenery and rich railway culture of Alishan to the world.

In recent years, Taiwan’s railway tourism offerings have gained popularity. Beyond the well-known forest railway, the former sugar railways, once used for transporting sugarcane, have also been repurposed for tourism. Centered around the Suantou Sugar Factory Cultural Park in Chiayi, the THSR Chiayi Station and the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum are connected by Taiwan’s first sugar railway that links major national transportation infrastructure and key cultural sites. Meanwhile, Taisugar’s vintage train continues to operate within the Sinying Railway Scenic Park.

Additionally, the “Breezy Blue Train,” a repurposed vintage blue train that typically runs on the South Link Line, has gained popularity since its launch in 2021. These vintage trains are gradually reshaping the landscape of Taiwan’s railway tourism.