Far by Rail

Taiwan · Scenic · Heritage

Jiji Line: Ershui to Checheng

The Jiji Line runs 29.7 kilometres from Ershui on the western trunk line into the hills of Nantou County, calling at Jiji and Shuili before ending at the former logging town of Checheng.

Ershui → Checheng

Scenic · Heritage

A yellow TRA DR1000 train on the wooded Jiji branch line.
A yellow TRA DR1000 train on the wooded Jiji branch line. · Photo: Cassiopeia sweet · Public domain
Experience
Rail enthusiasts · Families
Route
Ershui → Checheng
Time aboard
55m

Why this railway matters

A working line with a history

Riding it in 2026 means riding a line that has just come back: the upper section between Jiji and Checheng carried buses rather than trains for years while tunnels and embankments were rebuilt.

On the railway

The operating day, up close

Checheng itself is a preserved timber depot with log ponds and warehouses, and Jiji's station building is one of the best-known wooden stations in Taiwan.

A local train on the Jiji branch line in Nantou County.
A local train on the Jiji branch line in Nantou County. · Photo: SElefant · CC BY-SA 3.0

The historic line

The route and its landmarks

Because it runs as a normal service, it can be picked up from the trunk line at Ershui without booking.

The published route runs from Ershui to Checheng via Jiji, Shuili.

Key stops

ErshuiJijiShuiliChecheng

ErshuiChechengJijiShuili
Taiwan · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Ershui

    Taiwan

  2. Jiji

    Taiwan

  3. Shuili

    Taiwan

  4. Checheng

    Taiwan

Heritage / steam

What to know before you choose

01

What the operating day is like

The Jiji Line runs 29.7 kilometres from Ershui on the western trunk line into the hills of Nantou County, calling at Jiji and Shuili before ending at the former logging town of Checheng. Built in the 1910s and 1920s to serve hydroelectric construction and later the timber trade, the line lost its upper section to landslide damage and reopened in full on 25 June 2026 after a multi-year reconstruction of tunnels, slopes and drainage. It is worked as an ordinary local service.

02

What defines the route

Ershui to Checheng via Jiji, Shuili

03

Before you book

Reservation: not required. Direct online booking is not recorded. Standard Taiwan Railway local ticketing at stations or through the operator's app; seats are unreserved.

Verified 2026-09-28

Plan the ride

Plan the operating day

Use the verified journey, booking, season and onboard facts below to decide how to take this experience. Unknowns stay explicit.

Time aboard
55 min
Reservation
Not required
Booking
Use the official operator information for the travel date
Rail pass
Not verified
Price context
Standard local branch fares apply. No operator-dated fare figure has been captured, so no price is published here.
Timing
Check the current operating calendar
On board
No journey-specific onboard feature is currently verified

This guide does not imply a product variant unless a separate comparison decision is published.

Evidence on demand

Practical reality

Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.

Time & itinerary

55m

View route map and verified stops

Ershui → Checheng

The published route runs from Ershui to Checheng via Jiji, Shuili.

Key stops

ErshuiJijiShuiliChecheng

ErshuiChechengJijiShuili
Taiwan · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Ershui

    Taiwan

  2. Jiji

    Taiwan

  3. Shuili

    Taiwan

  4. Checheng

    Taiwan

When to go
  1. JanRuns
  2. FebRuns
  3. MarRuns
  4. AprRuns
  5. MayRuns
  6. JunRuns
  7. JulRuns
  8. AugRuns
  9. SepRuns
  10. OctRuns
  11. NovRuns
  12. DecRuns
  • Runs
Year-round
Runs

Jan: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.

These months show when the train runs, which is a service fact. How good each month is for the experience has not been rated yet, so no month is presented as better than another.

Month-by-month notes
  • Jan: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Feb: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Mar: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Apr: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • May: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Jun: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Jul: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Aug: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Sep: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Oct: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Nov: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
  • Dec: Full-line service between Ershui and Checheng resumed on 25 June 2026 after reconstruction; scheduled daily thereafter.
Good for

Good fit for

  • Rail enthusiasts

    Especially good

    The train and the line itself are a large part of the reason to travel.

  • Families

    Good fit

    Short enough, frequent enough or engaging enough to work with children.

  • Photographers

    Good fit

    Published photography score is high for this route's landscapes and structures.

Think twice if

No verified trade-offs on record. That is an absence of evidence, not a promise that there are none.

How it scores

Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.

SceneryStrong
ComfortLimited
Character of the trainModerate
Show the full editorial profile

More subjective

UniquenessStrong
Iconic statusModerate
PhotographyStrong
Travelling with childrenStrong

Not rated yet: value for money, food & drink, seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, romance, remoteness.

Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.

Reservation & booking
Reservation
Not required
Booking difficulty
Easy

Not yet verified: typical price, rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.

  • Standard Taiwan Railway local ticketing at stations or through the operator's app; seats are unreserved.
Official journey information, Taiwan Railway Corporation (opens the operator site in a new tab)Compare similar journeys

We link to the operator's own journey page. No direct booking channel has been verified for this service, so availability and fares must be checked there. Journey length: 55m. Checked 26 Oct 2026 · Taiwan Railway Corporation · station and timetable portal.

Sources & freshness

The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.

Your next step

Check the operating day, then confirm it with the railway.

Standard Taiwan Railway local ticketing at stations or through the operator's app; seats are unreserved.

Official journey information, Taiwan Railway Corporation (opens in a new tab)

We link to the operator's own journey page. No direct booking channel has been verified for this service, so availability and fares must be checked there.

Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.

Continue exploring

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Sources & freshness

Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.

Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026.

Official sources