It's been six long years—Alishan Forest Railway is finally back!

Text by: Little Traveler

The Alishan Forest Railway, once a must-visit destination and scenic train ride for Hong Kong tourists traveling to Taiwan, was suspended due to a typhoon disaster. But today brings great news: after more than six years of reconstruction and restoration,ChiayiFollowing successful trial runs on the section between Beimen Station and Alishan Station, the full line is expected to reopen on December 25.

The 71.4-kilometer forest railway saw its 36.1-kilometer Zhushan to Fenchihu section, which was damaged during Typhoon Morakot, repaired and partially reopened early last year. Tickets sold out within just two days. As for the main line’s remaining 21.1-kilometer stretch—from Fenchihu to the Alishan Forest Recreation Area—it remains closed. Due to the inability to bring heavy machinery up the mountain, workers had to manually place explosives to construct a 100-meter-long iron bridge. In addition, the most heavily damaged Erwanping section and the challenging construction of new tunnels at Pingzhanana and Duolin also required an investment of NT$1 billion.TaiwanRestoration work was carried out.

With the trains not having run between Fenchihu and Alishan for over six years since the disaster, both veteran and new train drivers have undergone rigorous training to familiarize themselves with the route and terrain to ensure the highest level of safety for passengers.

Some sections of the railway bed still need reinforcement, certain sleepers must be replaced, and adjustments to track gauge and rail surface elevation are also required. Safety inspections and test runs are scheduled for the end of October, and the highly anticipated return of the little train is drawing near.

Image source: United Daily News