'Vivid Express' on Taiwan's alpine railway to launch May 24: Agency

Taipei, April 23 (CNA) "Vivid Express," a new tourist train on the Alishan Forest Railway, is set to launch on May 24, providing passengers with a series of package journey options along the low-lying section of Taiwan's only alpine railway and the Alishan National Scenic Area, the operator announced Tuesday.

Lion Travel Service Co., which launches the train in cooperation with Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, said bookings can currently be made for a range of different package tours online, including a basic NT$5,500 (US$168) two-day package and other more expensive options including staying in a hotel inside the recreational area with a 4 a.m. trip to the top of Alishan to watch the sunrise.

Tickets to Alishan National Scenic Area are NT$200 for Taiwanese and NT$300 for foreign nationals.

The two-day package costing NT$5,500 includes a tourist bus from Taipei to Chiayi City, involving a series of local activities and spending the evening at a business hotel. The next day travelers make the one way trip to Fengqihu, at an elevation of 1,400 meters above sea level.

For this particular package travelers go to Fengqihu by tourist bus and return on the "Vivid Express," which allow them to watch the sunset as they make the return journey to Chiayi.

Initially, the "Vivid Express" will make the journey once a week, but the number of journeys could be increased in the future depending on demand.

The new tourist train service features two private box cars that each accommodate 11 passengers, as well as 38 seats in the remaining three cars with seats that can rotate 360 degrees, the travel agency said in a press release.

The train, which has large windows, is blue and white with livery that includes the collared bush robin, an endemic species that can be found in Alishan, it said.

To provide passengers with an in-depth travel experience, there will be a guide in each carriage, the company said, adding that there are also special train meals made from local ingredients including as cherry blossoms, chives and wasabi.

The route is expected to continue to Erwanping Station, at an elevation of 2,000-meters in the future, Lion Travel said.

The 71.4-km Alishan Forest Railway, which has been in operation since 1912, was initially constructed to transport timber down the mountains but is now used for recreational purposes, carrying passengers to the popular Alishan scenic area, although the full route has not operated since 2009 when it was damaged by Typhoon Marakot.

The area, one of the top attractions for international tourists, boasts magnificent views of ancient Formosan red cypress and misty forests, which can be seen from the windows of the Alishan trains.