Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Train
Taiwan Railway Administration
(TRA;
www.railway.gov.tw
)
has an extensive system
running up the east and west coasts. There are no services into the Central Mountains,
except tourism branch lines.
In the coming years expect travel times to speed up, especially on the east coast as
lines become electrified and straightened, new tunnels are added and more tilting trains
are brought into operation.
Trains are comfortable, clean, safe and reliable, with few delays. Reserved seating is
available, and food and snacks are served on trains. All major cities are connected by
train. For fares and timetables, see the TRA website.
Classes
Chu-kuang
(Jǔguāng) &
Fu-hsing
(Fùxīng) Slower than Tze-chiang class, with less
legroom. The fare is about 20% to 40% cheaper than Tze-chiang.
Local Train
(Qūjiānchē) Cheap and stops at all stations; more like commuter trains, no
reserved seating.
Taroko Express
(Tàilǔgé Hào) Special tilting trains that travel from Taipei to Hualien in
two hours.
Tze-chiang
(Zìqiáng) The fastest and most comfortable class.
Reservations & Fares
For fast trains, especially on weekends or holidays, it is advisable to buy tickets up to two
weeks in advance. You can book online (in English) or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks (in
Chinese only). You'll need your passport number to book online. Within two days of book-
ing, you must collect tickets (and pay for them) at any train station.
Tourism Branch Lines
Several small branch lines are maintained for tourist purposes: Alishan (
Click here
), Jiji
(
Click here
)
and Pingxi (
Click here
).
Visitor Information Centres
Most cities have visitor centres with English-speaking staff, inside or just outside the train
station. The centres are usually open from 9am to 6pm and have local bus, food and ac-
commodation information.
