One Hundred Years of Working On Taiwan's Railroad

Englishman George Stephenson's improved steam locomotive made its first run on September 25, 1825. It carried passengers, coal, and flour from the small town of Stockton to Darlington, 61 kilometers away. It moved along at only 10 MPH, and it was preceded by a man on horseback carrying a flag to announce its arrival. Nobody minded the black clouds of gagging smoke or the thunderous roar. They all cheered excitedly as they viewed the first train in the world to run on a public railway pass by in front of them.

The invention of the steam locomotive was to turn around everybody's concept of space and time. People were brought much closer together, and heavy cargo could now be conveniently and efficiently transported.

A small railway was first built just outside Peking by some Englishmen in 1865 as a curiosity attraction. It did indeed draw the interest and praise of a number of forward-looking Chinese. But the "fire cars" caused fright in the majority of people; they worried that the geomantic balance of the land was being upset, and the souls of the dead angered. The government had its own apprehensions. They feared the foreigners would use the railway to seize Peking and then divide China among themselves. For this reason, the rail was ordered destroyed. Ten years later, the Wusung Railway was built. This time a soldier of the Ching court was killed in a train accident. This set off a popular outcry, and the Wusung Railway met the same fate as its predecessor.

In September of 1887, Li Hung-chang, Liu Ming-ch'uan, and other Ching officials with an eye to the future directed the construction of the T'anghsu Railway. Nine km of track connected the city of T'angshan in Hopei Province to the village Hsukechuang to transport coal.

The Chinese railway system grew in fits and starts under an indecisive and dallying court policy. The railway system in faraway Taiwan, on the other hand, developed considerably more smoothly, since it ran into less government resistance. The first line built was the 28 km long Taipei-Keelung line. Construction on it was begun in 1887, under the direction of Liu Ming-ch'uan, and completed in 1891. Difficult terrain lengthened the construction time required. And, as on the mainland, public resistance to trains interfered with their construction and operation.

The Taipei-Keelung Railway holds the distinction of being the second successful line to be built in China, after the T'anghsu line. In fact, the first locomotives to service Taiwan were rebuilt from dismantled trains formerly used on the Wusung Railway. It is said that the well-known Taiwanese folksong "Tiu Tiu Tang" was composed as crowds of enthusiastic onlookers cheered the first train to run on this line.

Many people had qualms about riding the new "fire car"--they feared it might explode at any minute. In order to encourage more people to take the train, postage stamps were for a time accepted as train tickets. This saved the potential rider from making a special trip to the train station to buy a ticket. Trains moved so slowly then that they could be waved down to pick up passengers practically anywhere along the tracks. One major drawback to the system was that the railway authorities missed their peak seasons by giving all railway workers long vacations on major holidays, such as Chinese New Year!

Soon after construction on the Taipei-Keelung line began, work was initiated on a second line. This new line stretched a total of 78 km, from Taipei to Taoyuan, Chungli, and Hsinchu. Unfortunately, the official Liu Ming-ch'uan at this time became deeply disillusioned with the Ching government, and resigned from office. All new railway construction subsequently drew to a halt.

Taiwan was annexed by Japan as a colony after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. Japan's first priority in resource-rich Taiwan was to build up and develop the railway system. Within one decade, a 297.3 km line was built from Hsinchu to Taichung and Kaohsiung. In addition to this line, which connected Taiwan from north to south on its western coast, major railways were linked up to the light railways serving the sugar, mining, and forestry industries. In this way, bargain-priced raw materials from every corner of the island could be efficiently sent on to Japan.

The line connecting the eastern Taiwan cities of Hualien and Taitung was not completed until 1926. Precipitous cliffs and plunging ravines defied all but the most determined efforts to conquer them. All that was lacking now was a horizontal link between Taiwan's eastern and western halves.

The Japanese established a fairly comprehensive railway system for Taiwan. Unfortunately, it was extensively damaged in bombing raids by the Allied Forces towards the end of World War Ⅱ. Bridges were down and culverts were blocked. Tracks were in many places destroyed, or in some cases, dismantled and shipped to Japan for military use. It was at this time that many of Taiwan's young husbands, sons, and lovers were packed into trains and sent off to Southeast Asia where they were forced to fight for the expansionist Japanese. Few returned.

Taiwan's railway system was in a shambles when the Japanese left in 1946. Some Japanese military officials predicted that it could hold out at best only another six months, even with the best of efforts to restore it.

Taiwan's railways were indeed difficult to piece back together. They had to start again practically from scratch, and could function only marginally. However, a life-giving infusion of new talent began arriving from the Chinese mainland after 1949. Bridges and culverts were rebuilt and repaired, rotting ties replaced, and new tracks installed. New locomotives were also added, and maintenance and repair practices upgraded. Bit by bit of untiring efforts permitted Taiwan's troubled railways to miraculously survive, and become Taiwan's major mode of transportation of the time.

The train was how countless farmers' sons got to the "big city" of Taipei to study, work, or try their hand at business. Once successful, the train is what brought them back home on the holidays, arms weighed down with gifts for the family.

The Taiwan Railway Administration receives a great deal of mail, including letters of apology--and some with money enclosed. One was from a man who years ago came to Taipei to visit a friend in the hospital. At the time he was penniless, and slipped by the ticket collectors. Now a successful businessman, he wrote to the railway with an explanation, apology, and some money, in an effort to relieve a matter that weighed on his conscience for 20 years!

In 1980, the 81.6 km Peihuei line, connecting Ilan in northern Taiwan with the eastern coastal city of Hualien, was completed. Huge religious festivities were held in Hualien for three days to celebrate the event. The construction of the Peihuei line was certainly the most challenging and difficult of the entire Taiwan railway system, because of nearly "impossible" mountains and gorges. It includes a total of 16 tunnels. Before the Peihuei line, the longest train tunnel in Taiwan was the 2 km long Ts'aoling tunnel. Now, the Yungch'un tunnel of the Peihuei line, for example, is 4,020.5 meters long, twice the length of the Ts'aoling tunnel--and it is only the third longest on the island. What is even more impressive about this tunnel is that it is located 30 meters beneath the Nan Ao River. This tunnel was the most problematic portion of the whole Peihuei line, and it took a full five years to complete.

The rocking and bumping one had to put up with in the hot, noisy, crowded trains of a few decades ago have given way to all-electric trains that are smooth, sparkling, quiet, and clean. Taiwan's railways have unquestionably "made it," and are celebrating their 100th birthday in excellent form.

[Picture Caption]

Track after track of perfectly straight rails lead the trains to various stations. (photo by Arthur Jeng)

Taiwan's main north-south railway was opened to large-scale locomotives in August 1951. (photo courtesy of Central News Agency)

One of Taiwan's earliest steam locomotives is now on display in Taipei's New Park.

Veterans building the South Link Railway laid track in the hot sun. (pho to by Ch'en Ming-cheng)

The North Link Railway winds gracefully through the mountains. (photo by Arthur Jeng)

Some schoolgirls from Fangliao play around in an old train car. (photo by Arthur Jeng)

During vacations, the platforms are crowded with people returning home.

Train stations are full of stories of parting and reunion. What stories are about to happen here?

Since electrification, the railways have been overhung with cables.

Work on the costly Taipei subway system goes on day and night.

The conductor and the service personnel welcome the passengers aboard.

Taiwan's main north-south railway was opened to large-scale locomotives in August 1951. （photo courtesy of Central News Agency）

One of Taiwan's earliest steam locomotives is now on display in Taipei's New Park.

Veterans building the South Link Railway laid track in the hot sun. （pho to by Ch'en Ming-cheng）

The North Link Railway winds gracefully through the mountains. （photo by Arthur Jeng）

Some schoolgirls from Fangliao play around in an old train car. （photo by Arthur Jeng）

During vacations, the platforms are crowded with people returning home.

Train stations are full of stories of parting and reunion. What stories are about to happen here?

Since electrification, the railways have been overhung with cables.

Work on the costly Taipei subway system goes on day and night.

The conductor and the service personnel welcome the passengers aboard.