page_title: Rail transport in Taiwan
section_title: Cultural
hierarchical_section_title: Rail transport in Taiwan / Cultural
caption_attribution_description: 中文（繁體）‎: 蘇昭旭在2011台北國際書展。
context_page_description: Rail transport in Taiwan consists of 2,025 kilometres of railway networks. Though no longer as dominant as it once was, rail transport is an extremely important form of transportation in Taiwan due to high population density, especially along the densely populated western corridor. In 2016, over 1.09 billion passengers traveled by rail in Taiwan, averaging 2.99 million passengers per day.
  The railways of Taiwan include conventional rail, rapid transit systems, and high-speed rail, as well as specialized railways for tourists and industry. Taiwan Railways Administration is an associate member and Taiwan High Speed Rail is an active member of the International Union of Railways, even though Taiwan does not have state membership.
  Rail transport was introduced to Taiwan in 1891 during its late Qing era. Push car railways were brought to Taiwan during Japanese rule and were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s.
  All railway services are located in the main island of Taiwan. Outer islands including Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands do not have railways.
context_section_description: 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 been capitalized upon in recent years through the introduction of various items such as "nostalgia railroad ekiben" (懷舊鐵路便當), claimed to be authentic copies of the box lunches that were once served aboard trains.
  There is also a sizable network of railway fans in Taiwan which has increased with the recent trend of Taiwanization; the culture of the railway fans in Taiwan is also strongly associated with that in Japan owing to strong Japanese influence on Taiwan’s railways ranging from the colonial legacy of Japan seen in Taiwan’s steam locomotives to the basis of the Taiwan High Speed Rail on the Shinkansen. Some prominent railway enthusiasts in Taiwan include meteorologist Dr. Hung Chin-Wen and technical assistant professor Su Jhao-Syu of the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism.
caption: Su Jhao-Syu (1967–), a prominent railway enthusiast and transport professor
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