Pingxi Branch Line

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Taiwan
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The Journey

Navigate from Ruifang Station (junction with TRA Yilan Line; northeast coast hub) to Jingtong Station (original coal-corridor terminus, restored wooden architecture) across a span of 12.9km.

Scenery Highlights
  • Shifen Old Street sky-lantern releases year-round; Sky Lantern Festival 27 Feb & 3 Mar, 2026
  • Shifen Waterfall (a 20-metre cascade) — 15-minute walk from Shifen Station
  • Houtong Cat Village — hillside station famous for ~200 feral cats cared for by volunteers
  • Keelung River gorge views and hanging bridges between Wanggu and Lingjiao
  • Coal mining heritage architecture at Jingtong (Jinguashi gold-mining historic town 5 km walk via Jingtong Historic Street)
  • Sandiaoling station — the former junction with the now-defunct Shen'ao Line to coastal Shuinandong
  • Pingxi Old Street — the original coal-corridor market street, lined with lantern shops and traditional rice-cake stalls
Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.7 hours

  • Distance

    12.9 km

  • Est. Price

    NT$80 Pingxi/Sen'ao One-Day Pass or NT$15–25 per hop with EasyCard

Official Booking Provider
Classes & Accommodations

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Engine / Locomotive

TRA DRC1000 series diesel railcars (single-car units, designed 1990s specifically for branch-line tight curves)

Locomotive Weight

20 tons (DRC1000 series single-car DMU)

Track Gauge

1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge (Taiwan Railways Administration standard)

Braking Technology

Air brakes

Route Engineering Challenges

  • Single-track operation with passing sidings at selected stations

  • Steep grades through the Keelung River gorge

  • Frequent service interruptions during heavy rain and typhoons (June–September)

  • Limited platform length at small stations requiring short-car DMUs (DRC1000)

  • Parallel Shen'ao branch suspended in 2017 (track lifted, right-of-way converted to hiking trail)

  • January 2026 typhoon-recovery restoration work required for full hourly service resumption

Route distance

12.9 km (Ruifang–Jingtong)

Maximum speed

50 km/h

Year opened

1921 (Ruifang–Sandiaoling); 1929 (full line to Jingtong); service fully restored 30 January 2026 after typhoon repairs

Electrification

Non-electrified (diesel haul)

Operator

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA)

Carriage type

DRC1000-series single-car diesel railcars (built 1990s specifically for branch lines)

2025 ridership

1.4 million passengers (despite late-year disruption)

Day pass

NT$80 Pingxi/Sen'ao One-Day Pass (unlimited rides all day)

Frequency

Approximately hourly locals; first to Sandiaoling 05:25, last from Jingtong 20:33

Major festivals

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (27 Feb / 3 Mar, 2026) with extra evening mass-release trains

First daily train

05:25 to Sandiaoling

Last daily train

20:33 from Jingtong

Connectivity

Ruifang Station connects with TRA Yilan Line; Sandiaoling was the former junction with the defunct Shen'ao Line (now a hiking trail)

Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.7 hours

  • Distance

    12.9 km

  • Est. Price

    NT$80 Pingxi/Sen'ao One-Day Pass or NT$15–25 per hop with EasyCard

Official Booking Provider