Two new tourism express trains — Shanlan (山嵐號) and Haifeng (海風號) — are scheduled to start operating in November after completing trial runs this month, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) said.
The two tourism train services were created by revamping EMU500 series passenger trains. The train tours would be arranged by Lion Travel (雄獅旅行社).
TRC chairman Tu Wei (杜微) inspected the interior design of the Shanlan Express in a recent trip to the Hsinchu Railway Station and was briefed by Lion Travel officials on how it would arrange train tours.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Railway Corp
The state-run railway company said it is promoting railway tourism in Hsinchu County, which is home to Liujia (六家) and Neiwan (內灣) branch lines. They are close to hub stations for commuters, including North Hsinchu Station, Sansingciao (三姓橋), Siangshan (香山), Chianjia (千甲) and Sinjhuang (新莊) railway stations, it said.
There are several famous tourist destinations near these stations, such as Hsinchu Chenghuang Temple (新竹城隍廟), Hsinchu Park (新竹公園), Hsinchu City Glass Museum (玻璃工藝博物館) and Hsinchu Zoo (新竹動物園), it said.
The railway company originally offered only cruise train services, Formosa Express (環島之星) and summer Formosa Express trains. It has gradually expanded its tourism train fleet by including Future (鳴日號) in 2020 and Breezy Blue (藍皮解憂號) in 2021.
To attract gourmet and cycling enthusiasts, Lion Travel also added a five-star dining carriage and one which cyclists can travel with their bicycles in 2022.
In other news, the Tourism Administration on Thursday said the government would expand an incentive scheme to encourage independent foreign travelers to visit Taiwan more than once.
The agency last year introduced an incentive scheme that offers foreign passport holders visiting Taiwan for three to 90 days who are not members of tour groups a chance to win a NT$5,000 travel stipend through a lucky draw on arrival. The program runs until June 30 next year.
To attract independent foreign visitors repeatedly, the agency decided to allow people who have visited Taiwan and are planning to visit again sometime from tomorrow to the end of the year to take part in a second lucky draw.
Additional reporting by CNA
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
DIVA-READY: The city’s deadline for the repairs is one day before pop star Jody Chiang is to perform at the Taipei Dome for the city’s Double Ten National Day celebrations The Taipei City Government has asked Farglory Group (遠雄集團) to repair serious water leaks in the Taipei Dome before Friday next week, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday, following complaints that many areas at the stadium were leaking during two baseball games over the weekend. The dome on Saturday and Sunday hosted two games in tribute to CTBC Brothers’ star Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) ahead of his retirement from the CPBL. The games each attracted about 40,000 people, filling the stadium to capacity. However, amid heavy rain, many people reported water leaking on some seats, at the entrance and exit areas, and the