Alishan Forest Railway Celebrates Its 105th Birthday, Striving for Full Line Operation ASAP

The Alishan Forest Railway is 105 years old this year. To celebrate the long-standing contribution and cultural significance of this national treasure-level mountain railway, the Chiayi Forest District Office under the Forestry Bureau held a 105th anniversary celebration event for the Alishan Forest Railway at Beimen Station today (24th). Council of Agriculture Minister Lin Tsung-hsien pointed out that funding for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program has been secured and urged the Forestry Bureau to make every effort to advance the program, aiming to complete repairs on sections damaged by typhoons before 2020, in order to restore full line operations as soon as possible. He also expressed hope for the dream of being listed as a World Heritage site to be realized soon.

Attendees included Lin Tsung-hsien, Deputy Director-General of the Forestry Bureau Yang Hung-chih, Chiayi City Mayor Tu Hsing-che, Chiayi County Deputy Magistrate Wu Fang-ming, Legislative Yuan members Lee Chun-yi, Chen Mei-ling, as well as a delegation of eight guests from the Oigawa Railway in Japan, which has maintained a sister railway relationship with the Alishan Forest Railway for 32 years.

Saotome Kinuyo, Mayor of Shimada City in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, stated that the Oigawa Railway and the Alishan Forest Railway have been sister railways for 32 years. Through technical and tourism exchanges, their friendly relationship has deepened. Going forward, the two railways will continue their amicable interactions, and she hopes Taiwan and Japan can work together to promote tourism development and preserve railway cultural heritage.

The event site also featured limited-edition commemorative tickets and stamps, exclusive merchandise, and a temporary post office, attracting many rail enthusiasts to the celebration. The commemorative tickets sold out very quickly. Lin Tsung-hsien noted that the Alishan Forest Railway is truly one of a kind with “multiple layers of meaning.” In the future, railway operations will be managed by the Forestry Bureau, and once a dedicated agency is established, efforts will be made to secure fair employee benefits—there will be no mistreatment.