When the Journey Is the Destination

Tourist trains — that is to say, special rail services that transform the journey into the destination — are a relatively new phenomenon in Taiwan. It wasn’t until 1991, when the South Link Line was completed, that rail circumnavigation of Taiwan’s main island even became possible. It’s taken a while for the concept to build up a full head of steam, but with several new options coming on board in recent years, the country is now well on track to become a new hub for leisure train adventures.

Future

In a nutshell: First-class travel meets Michelin-level movable feast

Most prestigious among Taiwan’s growing fleet of tourist trains is the Future. This 70-year-old reconditioned Chu-Kuang Express has been reborn in a glossy coat of soot black and sunset orange. Designed-to-the-nines carriage interiors (courtesy of Taiwanese architect-designer Johnny Chiu) exude sleek elegance with their curved lines, warm neutral tones, and textures that accentuate the natural scenic beauty framed by huge statement windows. From the dedicated check-in counters and butlers that get you settled to the resident barista serving up coffee from Taiwan’s Alishan area and the pomelo-flower scent that fills the air, not a single detail has been overlooked. Everything about this train is first class.

The Future offers two distinct service options: Moving Beauty and Moving Kitchen. As the Moving Beauty, it offers multi-day touring packages (generally three-day, two-night) that pair the onboard opulence with overnights at 5-star establishments (Silks Place Tainan, Grand Cosmos Resort Ruisui) and carefully curated off-train excursions and activities such as visits to indigenous villages, tea ceremonies, jade carving, or fruit picking.

In its Moving Kitchen configuration (one- and two-day outings), food is placed squarely center stage. Billed as a mobile fine-dining experience, the menu is a collaboration with Taiwan’s first three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Palais of Palais de Chine Hotel Taipei. As the scenery rolls past, Michelin-caliber meals featuring local ingredients (Dongshi oysters, Hsinchu rice noodles, Taitung custard apples) are plated and served with all the understated ceremony of a high-end restaurant. Live music accompanies the evening service, transforming the meal into a true occasion.

The train runs most weeks, and trips are available exclusively through Lion Travel, with offerings shifting seasonally to cover new tourist attractions or themes. Of course, such luxury does not come cheap – Moving Beauty packages start around NT$40,000 per person for the three days of extravagance, while Moving Kitchen packages are around NT$18,000 or NT$38,000 for the one- and two-day itineraries, respectively.

Info: bit.ly/taiwan-future-train

Formosa Express

In a nutshell: Indulge your inner child with cute, family-friendly fun

The Formosa Express is the oldest among Taiwan’s tourist trains, and perhaps also the service with the broadest appeal. Operating Friday through Monday with one round-island loop service in either direction per day (two trains in service, heading clockwise/counter-clockwise respectively), the train is quite a sight to behold as it rolls through city and countryside. A colorful cast of Sanrio characters brightens the exterior, and the inside – each carriage is themed around a different beloved favorite – is even more saturated with cuteness.

Given the saccharine overload (plus the scheduled roster of crafting activities), you would be forgiven for thinking this is one for the kids, but the karaoke carriage and evening happy hour suggest otherwise. And speaking of refreshments, there’s no risk of going hungry – meals and snacks (included in the ticket price) are served at set times, and the café carriage is open for drinks throughout the journey.

Prices vary depending on the route taken (there are 23 stops), topping out at NT$3,890 for a full loop; tickets can be bought via ezTravel or Klook.

Info: bit.ly/formosa-express

Shanlan

In a nutshell: Multisensory field- and forest-infused relaxation in stylish surrounds

Launched in 2025, the Shanlan (meaning “mountain mist”) is one of two tourist-train experiences geared towards a mid-range “I fancy a splurge” kind of luxury. The service runs use a specially reconditioned EMU500 kitted out in ripe-rice chartreuse livery, with one door in each carriage replaced by a stunning floor-to-ceiling window that makes you feel as if you’re soaring through the landscape. Furnishings are muted greens – celadon, eucalyptus, moss, sage – inspired by Taiwan’s misty mountains and fertile fields, while a constellation of ceiling lights twinkles whenever the train enters a tunnel, and woodland scents fill the air.

From April to June of this year, the train is scheduled to shuttle between Changhua (central Taiwan) and Tainan (south Taiwan). Southbound stops are at the small stations of Shetou and Ershui; northbound stops are at Houbi and Dalin. Catering provided on these routes comes from the Silks Place Tainan, with the hotel’s esteemed culinary team drawing inspiration from the grand banquets of yore and the region’s coastal bounty. (As with all services mentioned here, accommodation for vegetarian diets requires advance notification.)

Trains run Friday through Sunday. One-way tickets cost NT$3,900; bookable via Lion Travel.

Info: bit.ly/shanlan-train

Haifeng

In a nutshell: The rail-based adventure that dessert lovers never knew they needed

Sister service to the Shanlan, the Haifeng (literally, “sea breeze”) is a similarly refurbished EMU500, with a palette drawn from Taiwan’s east coast littoral landscape – think pebble gray, spume white, the teal of sunlit waters. It is airy, light, and bright, and like the Shanlan, it has the same generous windows that draw the external scenery inside.

Routes vary, but through this May and June, the Haifeng will chart a course between Nangang (Taipei City) and Yilan (northeast Taiwan), with stops at Dali and Toucheng outbound or Dali and Houtong on the return. The culinary highlight is a tea spread from Taipei’s Moon Bakery. Treats like Tieguanyin tea canelés, curly kale salad, red guava tarts, Sanxing scallion croissants, mentaiko buns, and fragrant oolong tea are presented in a Tiffany-blue box that frames each treat as an edible jewel. (On west-coast journeys, the MANO MANO patisserie and Michelin-starred ice-cream parlor MINIMAL do the catering, with equally mouthwatering results.)

Services run Friday through Sunday. One-way tickets cost NT$3,600; bookable via Lion Travel.

Info: bit.ly/haifeng-train

Mid-Summer Formosa Train (Hualien-Taitung)

In a nutshell: Travel back in time with a steam-powered cruise through east Taiwan’s summer scenery

For rail enthusiasts, nothing beats the sheer sensory delight of a steam locomotive in all its hissing and whistling, hot-oil-smelling, juddering and whirring, and thrusting glory. It is a visceral evocation of a bygone era, and one that Taiwanese steam freaks get to experience for three weekends each summer when the CT273 locomotive, pulling the Mid-Summer Formosa Train, graces the East Rift Valley (now also known as East Longitudinal Valley) with her majestic presence.

In her day, the handsome locomotive (manufactured in 1943 by Kawasaki Rolling Stock Co., Ltd.) was one of the fastest in the land, earning her the nickname the Queen of Steam, and although she’s no match for the modern machines when it comes to speed, you’ll certainly feel like royalty as you sit in the train steaming past banks of spectators gathered beside verdant rice paddies to wave you on your way.

Precise itineraries vary year to year, but usually include stops at several stations. Specifics tend to be announced in early June, with tickets going on sale shortly thereafter (available from EZ Travel or directly from the TRA website).

Info: bit.ly/midsummer-forumosa