Jiji line

The Jiji line (Chinese: 集集線; pinyin: Jíjí Xiàn; Wade–Giles: Chi2-chi2 Hsien4; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chi̍p-chi̍p Soàⁿ) is a branch line of the Taiwan Railway, located in Changhua and Nantou counties in Taiwan. It is a narrow-gauge railway, and the longest branch line in Taiwan. The line is operated as a heritage railway, catering to tourists wanting to visit this part of central Taiwan. What is now the Jiji line was originally constructed to help deliver construction materials to a power plant at Sun Moon Lake. Replacing a push car railway that previously covered the same route, it greatly expanded capacity and soon began to be used to export goods from the region, as well as carry passengers. Significant exports included wood and bananas. This spurred economic growth along the line in the first half of the 20th century. When the economic situation shifted, the line began to lose money. The TRA proposed to close the line in 1986, but after resistance from local residents, the line was instead repurposed to attract tourism to the region. This effort was successful, spurring renewed economic growth along the line. The line has since developed partnerships with Japanese lines, promoted leopard cat conservation, and operated a museum train. The success of the line prompted its extension west to better connect with the Taiwan High Speed Rail line. However, the line has faced significant difficulties regarding maintenance, especially given its old age, and parts of the line have been closed since 2021. Work is underway not only to repair the line, but also to widen its tunnels to allow for larger trains with increased capacity.