The railway representatives will sign the agreement Dec. 5, just ahead of the Alishan Forest Railway’s 106th anniversary celebration
Taiwan News
Date: 2018/12/03
By: Duncan Deaeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
The Cierny Hron Railway, Slovakia (Image from travelguide.sk)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi County of central Taiwan announced that it will be forming a new sister railway relationship with a railway line in the European country of Slovakia.
Ahead of its 106th anniversary of operations later this month, the iconic Alishan Forest Railway will sign a letter of intent on Dec. 5 marking its newest sister railway relationship with the 120 year old Cierny Hron Railway in Slovakia.
Planning and construction of the Cierny Hron Railway began in 1898, and it began operations in 1909 transporting lumber. It eventually opened for passenger transport between Čierny Balog and Hronec from 1927 to 1962 in what was then Czechoslovakia, before it returned to being only an industrial transport line.
In 1982 the Cierny Hron forest line was closed, but it was re-opened in 1982 as a heritage railway. The line’s total length runs 130 km, but the area designated as a heritage line for tourists to visit is 17 km long, and is open to visitors from May 1 to Sept. 30 every year, reports CNA. [FULL STORY]
