Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Taiwan's Alishan Forest Railway on Friday formed sister relationships with two Swiss railways, the Matterhorn Gotthard railway and the Gornergrat railway, to jointly promote tourism to the scenic spots.

The Matterhorn Gotthard railway runs from Disentis in the Swiss canton of Graubünden to Zermatt in the canton of Valais, while the Gornergrat railway -- Europe's highest open-air cog railway -- connects Zermatt Station and the summit of the Gornergrat in southern Switzerland.

The Alishan Forest Railway, which runs through the scenic mountain resort of Alishan in Taiwan's Chiayi County, had previously formed "sister railway" relationships with Japan's Oigawa Railway and Kurobe Gorge Railway.

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said around 7,000 Taiwanese passengers take the Gornergrat railway each year, second only to French passengers among foreign visitors.

After forming the sister relationship, the Alishan Forest Railway and the Swiss railways will jointly promote tourism and offer travel information about the other side on their official websites, Chou said.

Passengers from Taiwan and Switzerland can also get gifts while riding on the railways of the other country, he said.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Christie Chen)
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