Unreachable stations? A charming wooden railway station from the Japanese colonial era? The cruise train launches with a focus on unique platforms

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

Taiwan Railways Administration's cruise-style trains launched their maiden voyage this year on April 14, featuring three types of two-day travel packages: “Yilan & Taipingshan,” “Taitung & South Cross-Island Highway,” and “Yilan & Hualien,” with adult fares starting at NT$4,000. The first to be unveiled, the “2-Day Tour of the Beauty of Yilan & Taipingshan,” quickly sold out nearly all its tickets when ticket sales opened on March 16. The second package, the Taitung & South Cross-Island Highway journey, will open for bookings on April 20, with departure on May 19.

The cruise-style trains launched by Taiwan Railways Administration take travelers across Taiwan via the island-wide railway network. The packaged tours include transportation, meals, accommodation, sightseeing, and guided tours. The “2-Day Rich Tour of Taitung & South Cross-Island Highway” departs from Tainan, Kaohsiung, Fengshan, Pingtung, and Xinzuoying. In addition to enjoying the scenic beauty of the Wuluku Canyon forests and Lake Pilu, travelers will also visit Taiwan’s largest small station — the Jialu Station, the so-called “unreachable station” — Shanli, as well as Zhutian Station, one of the only remaining Japanese colonial-era wooden stations on the Pingtung Line alongside the now-defunct Sankezuo Station.

The “Yi-Hua Style 2-Day Tour,” departing from Shulin, Banqiao, Taipei, Songshan, and Qidu on June 30, opened for bookings on June 1. The route stops at Houdong, Hualien, Hanben, and Luodong. In addition to exploring the Houdong Cat Village, Zhongfeng Leisure Farm, and the Mugecuo Eco-Art Gallery, Hanben Station is also the location where the male protagonist meets a Lithuanian girl in the movie “Island Etude.”

Taiwan Railways Administration official website: www.railway.gov.tw

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