Sugar Cane Train Railway at Suantou Sugar Factory Extended to Southern Branch of National Palace Museum on October 7

For most people, sugar is something both unfamiliar and strange. They eat it every day but don’t know much about it at all. The sugar industry was once an important economic lifeline for Taiwan. Cane sugar accounted for up to 74% of Taiwan’s foreign income during the Japanese period. The livelihoods of many families depended on the sugar-making process from the growing of sugar crane to its production and export. For people that grew up in Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan, sugar was very much a part of their childhood memories. Suantou Sugar Factory in Chiayi did not produce suantou, or garlic. According to local folklore, this place was so named because of its relative prosperity compared to other regions. It was the third largest sugar factory in Taiwan during the Japanese period and sugar refining finally closed down due to damage from Typhoon Nari. Today, Suantou Sugar Refinery Cultural Park is home to the sugar railway unique to Taiwan’s sugar industry. The park has been developed into a destination for tourism and recreation focusing on the five themes of sugar industry, railway, historic buildings, sugar railway, and people.

The century-old sugar factory is well worth a visit. One of the highlights is the sugar railway that was once used for transporting sugar cane and now carries tourists looking for a retro experience. There are different theories to the Chinese name of the sugar railway unique to Taiwan. One claims that the tracks are half the size of standard gage, while another claimed that it ran at half-speed.

The sugar railway at Suantou Factory was originally limited to the boundaries of the park. The latest upgrade included new rolling stock, locomotive improvements, and external appearance. New links to the Southern Branch of National Palace Museum and Chiayi HSR Station have also been built. TÜV Rheinland began testing three sets of carriages on August 1, 2022. The tests included watertightness of the chassis and cabins, 21 static tests, and 8 dynamic operational tests. The final dynamic operational test of for the third and final set of carriages was completed on September 21 to ensure ride quality and reliability of railway transportation. Rover Chan, General Manager, Rail Transport, TÜV Rheinland Taiwan, said that the company had previously supervised the construction and testing of the Taipingshan Bong Bong Train. The certification and testing of Suantou Sugar Factory’s small sugar train represented yet another distinctive chapter in the Company’s track transportation services.

Taisugar purchased 3 air-conditioned, classical trains to support the extension of the railway to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. Bookings are essential on weekdays, while four daily return services will run between the HSR Station and Suantou Station on weekends. Each trip runs for approximately 30 minutes; the Suantou Station - NPM Southern Branch will operate five daily return services with each trip taking around 15 minutes.

To let visitors can experience the heydays of sugar cane transportation on the sugar railway, the tourist railway will run at a sedate pace of less than 10 km/h. Older Taisugar workers still recall how young children would jump on and off the sugar railway before being yelled at by the train drivers. The commissioning of the new line on October 7 means the sugar railway is now connected to Chiayi HSR station on one end, and NPM Southern Branch on the other. Visitors can therefore experience the idyllic countryside in most convenient way possible. A tour guide aboard the train will guide passengers through the history of the sugar industry and leave the audience wishing to learn more. Once you reach the sugar factory, don’t forget to try the unique ice creams. A tour of sugar-making history that combines culture and leisure makes the Suantou Sugar Factory a great place for fun and selfies!

More videos:

Sugar Train : https://youtu.be/UTlkTzgFm_g

Expert Interview : https://youtu.be/xW4aW6Dyg90