TRA train passing over the Kaoping Bridge. Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Taiwan has an extremely extensive network of railways (1496 km as of 2003). Though no longer as dominant as it once was, Taiwan's high population density continues to make rail transport an extremely important form of transportation, especially along the densely populated western corridor. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Nickname: The Harbor City (港都) Coordinates: Country  Republic of China(Taiwan) Region Southern Taiwan Capital Linya Dist(苓雅區) Mayor Chen Chu(陳菊) Area    - City 153. ...

Rail transport was introduced to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty (1891). Taiwan is the only part of the present-day Republic of China (ROC) to have rail transport. (i.e. None of Quemoy (Kinmen), Matsu Islands, Pratas, Wuchiu and Taiping has rail transport.) The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: QÄ«ng cháo; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China, expanded into China and the surrounding territories, establishing the Empire... Motto: Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang... Quemoy, Kinmen, or Chinmen (金門, pinyin: Jīnmén, POJ: Kim-mn̂g) (pop. ... The Matsu Islands (馬祖列島 or less frequently, 馬祖群島 Pinyin: MÇŽzÇ”) are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County (連江 Pinyin: Liánjiāng), Fukien Province of the Republic of China (ROC, now based on Taiwan). ... The Pratas Islands (or Dongsha Islands) are located in the middle of the South China Sea (see South China Sea Islands). ... The Taiwan Strait. ... Taiping (Traditional Chinese: 太平島), also known as Itu Aba, is the largest of the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) in the South China Sea. ...

The Railways of the Taiwan can generally be categorized into the following groups:

Interurban railways

TRA Tze-Chiang express train

Long distance railways connecting several major cities and urban areas. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 911 KB) Tzuchiang express train at the platform of Tainan Station. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 911 KB) Tzuchiang express train at the platform of Tainan Station. ...

• Taiwan Railway Administration (台灣鐵路局): The TRA runs most of the main passenger and freight lines in Taiwan forming a closed loop around the island, as well as three branch lines.

• Taiwan High Speed Rail (台灣高速鐵路): High speed rail system based on Shinkansen technology, running along the western corridor. Operation began on January 5, 2007.

The Taiwan Railway Administration (台灣鐵路管理局, a. ... A THSR 700-T train. ... TGV Réseau class, Marseille St-Charles station This page is about high speed rail in general. ... 300 (Left) and 700 Series Shinkansen at Tokyo Station Shinkansen 500 Series at Kyoto Station, March 2005 The Shinkansen ) is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by Japan Railways. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Urban metro

Siaobitan station , Taipei Rapid Transit System

With the increasing urbanization of Taiwan, several urban rapid transit systems have been constructed with several more being planned. Image File history File linksMetadata SiaobitanMRT.jpg‎ 台北捷運小碧潭站，首班試乘會照片。photo by Koika, zh-wikipedian. ... Image File history File linksMetadata SiaobitanMRT.jpg‎ 台北捷運小碧潭站，首班試乘會照片。photo by Koika, zh-wikipedian. ... The Taipei Rapid Transit System (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Táiběi Dàzhòng Jiéyùn Xìtǒng, also known as the MRT, Metro Taipei, or by locals simply as the Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Táiběi Jiéyùn) is a series of underground and elevated metro...

• Taipei Rapid Transit System (台北大眾捷運系統): The TRTS (also known as the MRT, or MetroTaipei) runs an extensive network of medium rail and underground metro systems throughout the metropolitan Taipei area.

• Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System (台灣桃園機場聯外捷運系統): This line will connect Taipei Main Station, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and THSR Taoyuan Station. Construction begun in 2006. Scheduled for service in 2012.

• Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (高雄捷運系統): Underground metro system currently under construction in Kaohsiung. Scheduled for service in 2007.

• Kaohsiung Light Rail: Light rail system in downtown Kaohsiung.

• Taichung Metropolitan Area MRT System (台中捷運): The project was approved in 2004. Scheduled for service in 2011.

The Taipei Rapid Transit System (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: TáibÄ›i Dàzhòng Jiéyùn XìtÇ’ng, also known as the MRT, Metro Taipei, or by locals simply as the Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: TáibÄ›i Jiéyùn) is a series of underground and elevated metro... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway — usually in an urban area — with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... Nickname: the City of Azaleas (杜鵑花之城) Coordinates: Country Republic of China Region Northern Taiwan Capital Xinyi Dist (信義區) Mayor Hau Lung-bin Area    - City 271. ... The Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System (台灣桃園國際機場聯外捷運系統) is a metro system planned to connect Taipei City and the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, before linking up with an extension of the Taoyuan MRT Blue Line to THSR Taoyuan Station and onwards to Jhongli City, where it terminates at the junction... Exterior of Taipei Main Station Taipei Main Station Renovation and Redevelopment Taipei Main Station (台北車站, literally The Taipei Station) refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City where different types of public transport systems converge at. ... Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE, ICAO: RCTP) (Traditional Chinese: ; Tongyong Pinyin: Táiwan Táoyuán Gúoji JichÇŽng), formerly Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhōngzhèng Gúoji JÄ«chÇŽng), also known simply as C.K.S. Airport or Taoyuan Airport, is... A THSR 700-T train. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) is an underground metro system currently under construction in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. ... Nickname: The Harbor City (港都) Coordinates: Country  Republic of China(Taiwan) Region Southern Taiwan Capital Linya Dist(苓雅區) Mayor Chen Chu(陳菊) Area    - City 153. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Industrial & tourist railways

Originally built for the transportation of industrial products, these railroads have become tourist attractions.

• Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵路): A narrow gauge rail line that runs from Chiayi City to the popular mountain resort of Alishan. Originally built by the Japanese Colonial Government for the logging industry in 1912, this line now caters mostly to tourists.

• Taiwan Sugar Railways (台灣糖業鐵路): An extensive series of narrow gauge lines mostly in central and southern Taiwan, originally built to haul sugarcane by Meiji Sugar Co., Ltd. during Japanese rule, but also capable of providing limited passenger service. Regular passenger services discontinued in 1982. In 2003, some short-distance train services resumed.

• Taiping Mountain Forest Railway (太平山森林鐵路): Short 3 km narrow gauge rail line running through the Taiping Mountain Scenic Area in Yilan County, originally constructed in 1924 for the logging industry, now a popular tourist attraction.

The Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵路) is an 86 km network of narrow gauge (762 mm) railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Chiayi City (嘉義市, pinyin: Jiāyì Shì, Taiwanese: Ka-gī chhī) is a city in Southwestern Taiwan. ... The Alishan National Scenic Area (阿里山國家風景區) is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Taiwan Sugar Railways (台灣糖業鐵路) were an extensive series of narrow gauge railways (762 mm) concentrated mostly in southern and central Taiwan which were originally built to haul sugarcane from the fields to the sugar mills, but also capable of providing limited passenger service. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Yilan County (宜蘭縣, pinyin: Yílán Xiàn) is a county in Northeastern Taiwan. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Cultural

Because of the Taiwan's extensive rail network (including many now defunct industrial narrow gauge lines which provided passenger service to rural areas), railways in Taiwan often have a romantic connotation, especially amongst the older generation who remember growing up when rail travel was the primary means of transportation between cities in simpler (and less prosperous) times. Many remember leaving their hometowns to attend school in far away cities by train or leaving via train to perform their compulsory military service. This nostalgia has often been capitalized upon in recent years through the introduction of various items such as "nostalgia box lunches" (懷舊便當), claimed to be authentic copies of the box lunches that were once served aboard trains. One may feel nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying. ...

There is also a sizable network of railway fans in Taiwan which has increased with the recent trend of Taiwanization. Railfans practicing their hobby at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. ...

See also

• Transportation in Taiwan

Railways: total: 1,496 km (2003) Taiwan Railway Administration: 1,097 km (gauge: 1067 mm) Taiwan Sugar Corporation: 240 km (gauge: 762 mm) Taipei Rapid Transit System: 65 km (gauge: 1435 mm) Forestry Bureau: 86 km (gauge: 762 mm) See also: Railways of Taiwan Roads: total: 37342 km (2003) highways...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Railways of Taiwan

• Taiwan Railway Club (Chinese)
• Taiwan railway scenery
• Twilight zone in Taiwan (Japanese)
• Railways of Taiwan from Asian Rails
• The Railways of Taiwan