Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
Taiwan High Speed Rail’s “Happy Cartoon Train” will soon return to its original look on 9/9Say goodbye to its cartoon look! Don’t miss your last chance
to say farewell to Po and P-Bot
The “Happy Cartoon Train” of Taiwan High Speed Rail, adored by cartoon and train fans, has been running across the country for more than a year,and will shed its cartoon disguise on September 9.
To let passengers cherish joyful memories and bring a perfect close to the “Happy Cartoon Train,” the high-speed rail company will offer limited-edition “commemorative postcards” (see attached photo) on the cartoon-themed train starting August 23. Passengers are encouraged to take this final opportunity to ride the “Happy Cartoon Train” and create colorful memories.
Commemorative limited-edition postcard of the “Happy Cartoon Train.” (Photo provided by Taiwan High Speed Rail)
Since July 21 of last year (2013), the high-speed rail company has partnered with Cartoon Network to launch the “Happy Cartoon Train.” Since its maiden voyage, it has operated over 1,400 train services, carrying more than 1.3 million passengers. News about Taiwan High Speed Rail’s “Happy Cartoon Train” has been shared hundreds of thousands of times on global social media platforms, giving Taiwan and the high-speed rail company significant international exposure and recognition.
The high-speed rail featured a cute design that was widely loved by the public after launching the “Happy Cartoon Train” last year. (Photo provided by Taiwan High Speed Rail)Taiwan High Speed RailSets September 9 as the Last Operating Day for the “Happy Cartoon Train”
Starting August 23, the high-speed rail company and Cartoon Network have specially created “commemorative limited-edition postcards,” which will be placed next to the “Happiness Delivery Station” mailbox in the aisle of car 7 on the cartoon-themed train. Passengers can take them as souvenirs or mail them to family and friends to share the joy. This allows the Cartoon Network characters “Po” and “P-Bot,” along with other cartoon stars, to leap off the train and live on in memory.Additionally, to coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the high-speed rail company is adding 5 more
servicesDuring the Mid-Autumn travel period from Friday, September 5 to Tuesday, September 9, due to higher-than-expected ticket sales, Taiwan High Speed Rail has decided toadd 5 extra train services (3 southbound and 2 northbound) during peak hours on September 5, 6, and 8to alleviate congestion. To encourage passengers to use these additional services, all 5 trains offer early bird discounts of 10% off, with early bird seats accounting for over 30% of the standard reserved seating on each service.
Passengers can start pre-ordering tickets for these additional services from midnight on Wednesday, August 27. Early booking is recommended.
The departure times and stop patterns for the 5 additional Mid-Autumn services are shown in the table above. (Photo provided by Taiwan High Speed Rail)During the Mid-Autumn travel period, Taiwan High Speed Rail added a total of 81 services (37 southbound and 44 northbound), offering 762 services in total. The high-speed rail company advises passengers to book reserved seats in advance or use the 3–4 cars of non-reserved seating available each day to easily plan their trips home or travels with family and friends, enjoying a cozy Mid-Autumn Festival while “riding the high-speed rail and exploring Taiwan.”
For services departing on or after September 1, the early bird discount booking window has been adjusted to 5 to 28 days before the travel date. Passengers booking within this period may enjoy early bird discounts of 35%, 20%, or 10%. Quantities are limited—the earlier you book, the better your chances.
As of 9:00 AM today (25th), the most in-demand reserved seat services during the Mid-Autumn travel period are mainly concentrated during the following time slots (detailed in the table below). To help passengers check seat availability, the high-speed rail company publishes daily updates on its corporate website and at stations, listing the most popular reserved seat services during the travel period. Passengers are welcome to check online.