Taiwan’s first railway-themed Starbucks café — sip coffee and watch trains at a historic station

By MOOK Scenic Spots   |   Photos by MOOK Scenic Spots Liao Weiren
 
Taiwan’s first Starbucks outlet built from an old train station grandly opened on January 24. It is also the first branch where you can enjoy coffee while admiring trains and railway scenery. This innovative transformation of a historic building marks a new milestone in “experiencing Starbucks in old buildings.”

The original Xinfeng Railway Station was established in 1893. After undergoing closures, renovations, and route changes, it was officially named Xinfeng Station in 1969.

Originally a wooden station building, Xinfeng Station was rebuilt as a two-story above-ground and one-story underground structure in 1989. Due to its proximity to the Hsinchu Industrial Park, commuter traffic increased year by year. A new railway station was constructed 20 meters to the south and opened in 2014.

Having stood for over a century, Xinfeng Railway Station has witnessed the region’s historical changes, evolving with the times and recording moments of daily life and travelers’ brief stops in Hsinchu’s Xinfeng area.

The air is filled with the aroma of coffee. Along the railway tracks, you can read the city’s traces. The train station carries people’s emotions — longing, reunions, expectations — connecting travelers and those working far from home. Starbucks preserves the original ambiance of the train station through its spatial design.