Taiwan Bullet Train

Being in Taiwan, the one thing I am very impressed is the rail network. They have quite a few trains along the city of Taipei & all its other cities as well. And of course, there is also the bullet train, completed in 2007.

For a relatively small island, I am impressed with this. So far, only bigger & usually more advanced countries are known for their bullet trains. And I guess this puts Taiwan in the league. Yes, this rather tiny nation island has made a name for itself once again... with this rather convenient bullet train system.

And I am lucky to have had my first fast speed train ride right here in Taiwan :) But first, some info on the main train station in Taipei.

Taipei's Train Station


The train station from outside may not look all modern, but well, this is where the Taiwan High Speed Rail is :)

The train station is rather huge as it not only is a station for the bullet train but a centralised station for its many railways.

Inside the corridors are wide are have a fair number of shops mainly serving fast take-aways (eg food items).


The big & wide corridors of the station


The many take-aways

I guess it's a good eat in between while waiting for their trains.

Anyway, back to the bullet train. One can choose to buy the tickets via the vending machines or queue up at the counter.




The gantry

Then next, one can have a seat while waiting for the train to arrive - as seats are provided beyond the gantry. This I must say is quite a good service for waiting customers.

The high speed bullet train
The ride we took was very comfortable in the train. There are 2 segments Business Class & Standard Class. Of course, the Business Class is much more roomy.


The more spacious Business Class


Refreshments are served - some nuts & coffee/ tea


One can also choose to buy the many other snacks available

With such comfortable seats, quiet ride and good service, the whole train ride made me feel relaxed. And of course, there is the view of Taiwan through the windows as well.


The mountain views & quite a fair bit of greens along the way

Oh btw, one can put his/ her food on the pull down table. And that same table can be used for the computer work/ leisure. Saw some people did that. They actually provide you to re-charge the computer. Very well planned for the business travelers.

Btw, this is the Standard Class of the Taiwan High Speed Rail.


And also the front view of the ultra modern bullet train.


*The fare difference between the Business Class & Standard Class is only quite fractional eg. Taipei - Taichung 560 vs 800 NTD$). Full rates.

*The High Speed Bullet Train goes as fast as 300km/hour along the West Coast of Taiwan linking the North to the South.

Btw, apart from the high speed bullet train, we also sat some interconnecting trains. Again, they were an experience.


The MRT like train


The rather bar like design of another train - think this is rather cool

The whole experience on these trains has been a good eye opener on how a good rail network system works. Clearly, this is good for its people which has benefited them - weather for leisure or business.

And I'm sure this has made an impact with the foreigners too. For a population of just 23 million odd, Taiwan's good transport system is truly impressive & in a way makes one rather envious :)

There is still some more things that impress me on Taiwan and I'll be sharing that next!

Related: On why I think bullet train is good: The Bullet Train Dream.