TAICHUNG STATION (TAIWAN)

Taiwan looks after old as new journey begins

Photos by Yomiuri Shimbun Photographer Sei Kohama

By Akiko Koyashiki

Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

From the outside, redbrick Taichung Station, built in 1917, looks like JR Tokyo Station.

During the 50-year Japanese colonial rule that came to an end with the conclusion of World War II, construction of railways was a prominent policy.

The city sits halfway along a 400-kilometer line between Keelung Port in the north and Kaohsiung in the south.

The station, designated a cultural asset by the Taiwan government in 1995, is the second-oldest station in Taiwan after Shinju Station.

The station is the gateway to Taichung, Taiwan's third-biggest city, but since many people commute by scooter or bus, the morning and evening weekday rush is not as jammed as in Japanese cities.

It attracts more people on weekends as a famous sightseeing spot.

Tsai Cheng-yi, 67, who worked for Taiwan Railway, said buildings constructed during the Japanese colonial period were strong and held the flavor of the era.

Tsai works as a volunteer guide at the station about 20 days a month.

The station has about 20 volunteers made up of retired teachers, company employees and students.

"We meet many people here. It's very interesting," Tsai said.

Superexpress trains will go into operation next October, reducing the Taipei- Kaohsiung route time from four hours and 40 minutes to 83 minutes, and the two-hour, 15-minute Taipei-Taichung trip to only 45 minutes.

A Japanese consortium is playing a key role in the construction of the new system.

With the new superexpress station located about 10 kilometers southwest of Taichung Station, there are concerns that people in Taichung may not use the new service regularly — in addition to expensive tickets, travelers will have to take a bus from the new station to get downtown.

However, Lee Yi-chien, 23, a university student waiting for an express train at the old station said she would use the superexpress once it started running because she came to Taichung every week from Taipei to see a friend.

After more than 100 years of service, Taiwan's railway is about to depart on a new journey.