Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Forest Railway (Chinese: 阿里山森林鐵路; pinyin: Ālǐshān Sēnlín Tiělù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-lí-san Sim-lîm Thih-lō͘) is an 86 km network of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan. The railway, originally constructed for logging, has become a tourist attraction with its unique Z-shaped switchbacks, and over 50 tunnels and 77 wooden bridges.[2] Taiwan's Ministry of Culture has listed the forest railway as a potential World Heritage Site.[3]

Alishan Forest Railway
Overview
LocaleChiayi County, Taiwan
Coordinates23°30′36″N 120°48′15″E
TerminiChiayi
Chushan
Connecting linesChiayi Station: TRA Western Line
Stations22
Websiteafrch.forest.gov.tw (in Chinese)
Service
Operator(s)Forestry Bureau
Daily ridership5500[1]
History
Opened1912 (1912)
Technical
Line length86 km (53 mi)
Track gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Highest elevation2,216 m (7,270 ft)
Route map

 Chiayi
Beimen
 Lumachan
 Zhuqi
 Mululiao
 Zhangnaoliao
Dulishan
Liyuanliao
 Jiaoliping
 Shueisheliao
 Fenqihu
 Duolin
 Shizilu
 Pingzhena
First Reverse
Second Reverse
 Erwanping
 Shenmu
 Alishan
 Shuishan
 Zhaoping
 Chushan
 Tashan
 Shihou
Alishan Forest Railway
Traditional Chinese阿里山森林鐵路

History
Class B 28t Shay locomotive No.31

The narrow gauge lines were originally constructed by the Japanese Colonial Government in 1912 to facilitate the logging of cypress and Taiwania wood.[4] Passenger carriages were first added to the trains in 1918. The first motive power was a Shay locomotive purchased second hand from the Kiso Forest Railway in Japan. Eventually the railway acquired 20 Shay locomotives.

Eventually, diesel railcars supplemented the steam engines on the passenger services. In the 1980s, 10 Hitachi-built diesel-hydraulic locomotives were delivered and replaced the railcars and remaining steam engines.

Since 1945

The completion of the Alishan Highway in 1982 led to the loss of many rail passengers to faster and cheaper buses and the rail became primarily a tourist attraction.[2]

Accidents on the line have resulted in a number of fatalities over the years. On 24 April 1981, a collapsed tunnel resulted in nine deaths and 13 injuries. On 1 March 2003, 17 people were killed and 156 injured when a train derailed near Alishan Railway Station.[5] On 27 April 2011, five tourists, including three from mainland China, were killed and 113 people injured in a derailment.[6]

A damaged portion of the Alishan Line visible from Alishan National Scenic Area.

In addition, services have been repeatedly disrupted due to damages from landslides. The main line from Chiayi to Alishan has been partially closed since 2009 due to damages cause by landslides during Typhoon Morakot in 2009 and Typhoon Dujuan (2015). The line is undergoing repairs and is expected to be fully opened in 2023.[7] In August 2015, the Chiayi-Fenqihu section was briefly closed due to damages during Typhoon Soudelor.[8]

In order to further boost tourism in the region, on 5 December 2018 the Alishan Forest Railway commenced a "sister railway" partnership with Čierny Hron Railway in Slovakia,[9] making the Alishan Forest Railway to maintain such relationships with nine other companies across five different countries.[10]

Operation

The railway was privatized through a build-operate-transfer (BOT) in June 2008[11] and maintained by the Hungtu Alishan International Development Corporation.[12] On 1 May 2013, the management of the railway was taken over by Taiwan Railways Administration. On 1 July 2018, the railway was taken over by the newly established Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office of the Forestry Bureau.[13]

The system is currently operated using diesel locomotives, although there are occasional special public runs using the old steam powered Shay locomotives.[14]

Lines
Spiral loop in the Alishan Line
Alishan Station

The main line originally ran from the city of Chiayi (elevation 30 m), to Alishan (elevation 2,216 m), but is currently partially closed past Shizilu. The vegetation along the way changes from tropical to temperate and finally alpine. The line features many switchbacks on the way up the mountain.[15]

  • Main line
Chiayi–Shizilu
Includes several steep gradients (max. 6.26%), a spiral and four switchbacks; longest line with most dramatic climate change.
Reopened between Chiayi and Fenqihu (approximately the halfway point) following typhoon damage repairs in January 2014,[16] and to Shizilu in 2017.
  • Shenmu line
Alishan–First Reverse via Shenmu
Runs frequently all day, a short (5-minute) ride downhill to Shenmu station.
  • Chushan line
Alishan–Chushan
Early morning trains, popular for viewing the sunrise over Jade Mountain
  • Zhaoping line
Alishan–Zhaoping
Runs frequently all day, a short (5-minute) ride uphill to Zhaoping station
  • Mianyue line
Alishan–Shihou
Closed indefinitely due to earthquake damage
  • Shuishan line
Alishan–Shuishan
  • The front of the train on the Zhushan Line
  • Alishan station
  • Zhushan Station

List of stations

Alishan line (Main line)
NameChineseTaiwaneseHakkaElevation
(m)		Distance
(km)		Transfers and NotesLocation
Chiayi嘉義Ka-gīKâ-ngi300.0 West Coast line: Chiayi WestChiayi
Beimen北門Pak-mn̂gPet-mùn311.6 East
Lumachan鹿麻產Lo̍k-môa-sánLu̍k-mà-sán8210.8 ZhuqiChiayi
County
Zhuqi竹崎Tek-kiāChuk-khì12714.2
Mulüliao木履寮Ba̍k-kia̍h-liàuMuk-kiak-liàu32418.9
Zhangnaoliao樟腦寮Chiuⁿ-ló͘-liâuChông-nó-liàu54323.3
Dulishan獨立山To̍k-li̍p-soaⁿThu̍k-li̍p-sân74327.4
Liyuanliao梨園寮Lê-hn̂g-liâuLài-yèn-liàu90531.4 Meishan
Jiaoliping交力坪Ka-le̍k-pêⁿKâu-li̍t-phiàng99734.9 Zhuqi
Shuisheliao水社寮Chúi-siā-liâuSúi-sa-liàu118640.5
Fenqihu奮起湖Pùn-ki-ô͘Fun-hí-fù140345.8
Duolin多林To-lîmTô-lìm151650.9 Alishan
Shizilu十字路Si̍p-jī-lō͘Sṳ̍p-sṳ-lu153455.3
Pingzhena屏遮那Hè-sen-náPhìn-châ-nâ171160.5
First Switch第一分道Tē-it-pun-tōThi-yit-fûn-tho182763.0
Erwanping二萬坪Jī-bān-pêⁿNgi-van-phìn200066.8
Shenmu神木Sîn-bo̍kSṳ̀n-muk213869.6 → Shenmu line
Alishan阿里山A-lí-sanÂ-lî-sân221671.4
Zhaoping沼平Chau-pêngCheu-phiàng227472.7 → Mianyue line
→ Chushan line

Chushan line
NameChineseTaiwaneseHakkaElevation
(m)		Distance
(km)		Transfers and NotesLocation
Alishan阿里山A-lí-sanÂ-lî-sân22160 AlishanChiayi
County
Zhaoping沼平Chau-pêngCheu-phiàng22741.3 → Alishan line
→ Mianyue line
Shizifendao十字分道Si̍p-jī-pun-tōSṳ̍p-sṳ-fûn-tho23102.9
Duigaoyue對高岳Tuì-ko-ga̍kTui-kô-ngo̍k23504.9 XinyiNantou
County
Chushan祝山Chiok-soaⁿChuk-sân24516.25 Highest railway station in Taiwan

Mianyue line
NameChineseTaiwaneseHakkaElevation
(m)		Distance
(km)		Transfers and NotesLocation
Alishan阿里山A-lí-sanÂ-lî-sân22160 AlishanChiayi
County
Zhaoping沼平Chau-pêngCheu-phiàng22741.3 → Alishan line
→ Zhushan line
Shizifendao十字分道Si̍p-jī-pun-tōSṳ̍p-sṳ-fûn-tho23102.9
Tashan塔山Thah-sanThap-sân23445.5 Was the highest railway station in the Empire of Japan
Mianyue眠月Biân-goa̍tMìn-ngie̍t23038.0
Shihou石猴Chio̍h-kâuSa̍k-hèu23189.26

Tribute

On 10 March 2018, Google celebrated the Alishan Forest Railway with a Google Doodle.[17]

See also

References
  1. Shelley Shan (4 April 2016). "Alishan Forest Railway ticket prices to go up". The Taipei Times. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. Deborah Kuo. "Uncertain Future for Alishan Railway". Taipei Times. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  3. "Alishan Forest Railway". Ministry of Culture. With these unique features, the railway has been listed by the Ministry of Culture as one of the 18 potential World Heritage Sites within R.O.C. territories.
  4. Railway island paradise Trains June 2018 page 34
  5. "Taiwan's Alpine Rail". Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  6. Shelly Shan. "Tourists Killed in Train Derailment". Taipei Times. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  7. "阿里山森鐵剩42號隧道卡關 原地復建難". 公視新聞網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  8. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/chiayi/2015/08/11/442964/Alishan-Railway.htm
  9. "Alishan signs sister deal with fellow Slovakian railway". Taipei Times. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  10. "阿里山蒸汽火車 108年起每兩周行駛一天". UDN.com. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  11. "阿里山森林鐵路移交民營　航向新紀元".
  12. Shelly Shan. "TRA to Take Control of Alishan Forest Railway". Taipei Times. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  13. Huang, Kuo-fang; Lee, Hsin-yin (23 June 2018). "Forestry Bureau to take over operation of Alishan railway". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  14. "阿里山SL-31號蒸汽機車運行記錄". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Alishan tain goes to Fenqi Lake again".
  17. "Celebrating the Alishan Forest Railway". Google. 10 March 2018.
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