Alishan Forest Railway 2024 Reopening Celebrations: Part II Beimen Workshop Visit

Taiwan's 762mm gauge Alishan Forest Railway climbs from 30m to over 2400m in just 74 kilometres. This scenic railway was originally built from 1905 for Cypress timber harvesting during the Japanese Colonial rule but in 2009, a powerful typhoon cut the line with a major landslide between FenchiHu and Alishan. As of the first week of July 2024, the railway will reopen again all the way and we were invited to ride the first official passenger train all the way.

The Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office invited a delegation of visitors from narrow gauge 'sister' and friendship' railways from around the world to help celebrate the reopening of the line so people from Australia, Japan, Slovakia and the UK were among many who received a guided inspected the Chiayi Locomotive Garage on one particular hot & steamy afternoon!