Taiwan · Scenic · Heritage
The Pingxi Line is a 27 kilometre branch railway east of Taipei, built in 1929 to move coal and now worked as a scheduled local service between Ruifang, Sandiaoling, Shifen and the terminus at Jingtong.
Ruifang → Jingtong
Scenic · Heritage
Why this railway matters
This is one of the rare branch lines where the railway is still physically embedded in the town it serves, close enough to shopfronts that the train's horn interrupts the market.
On the railway
The day-pass structure turns it into a walking-and-riding itinerary rather than a single trip, with waterfalls near Shifen and the preserved coal-loading structures at Jingtong.
The historic line
It is a deliberately slow counterpoint to Taiwan's high-speed spine, and because it is a normal timetabled service, no advance booking is required.
The published route runs from Ruifang to Jingtong via Sandiaoling, Shifen.
Key stops
RuifangSandiaolingShifenJingtong
Ruifang
Taiwan
Sandiaoling
Taiwan
Shifen
Taiwan
Jingtong
Taiwan
Heritage / steam
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The Pingxi Line is a 27 kilometre branch railway east of Taipei, built in 1929 to move coal and now worked as a scheduled local service between Ruifang, Sandiaoling, Shifen and the terminus at Jingtong. Trains climb the Keelung River gorge on single track, with the rails at Shifen running directly through the middle of the old street. Taiwan Railway sells a day pass covering the branch, so you can get on and off between towns.
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Ruifang to Jingtong via Sandiaoling, Shifen
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Reservation: not required. Direct online booking is not recorded. Tickets and the branch-line day pass are sold at staffed stations including Ruifang and Taipei; seats are unreserved.
Verified 2026-09-28
Plan the ride
Use the verified journey, booking, season and onboard facts below to decide how to take this experience. Unknowns stay explicit.
This guide does not imply a product variant unless a separate comparison decision is published.
Evidence on demand
Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.
1h
The published route runs from Ruifang to Jingtong via Sandiaoling, Shifen.
Key stops
RuifangSandiaolingShifenJingtong
Ruifang
Taiwan
Sandiaoling
Taiwan
Shifen
Taiwan
Jingtong
Taiwan
Jan: Scheduled daily local service throughout the year.
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.
Rail enthusiasts
Especially good
The train and the line itself are a large part of the reason to travel.
Photographers
Especially good
Published photography score is high for this route's landscapes and structures.
Families
Good fit
Short enough, frequent enough or engaging enough to work with children.
No verified trade-offs on record. That is an absence of evidence, not a promise that there are none.
Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.
More subjective
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.
Not yet verified: typical price, rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.
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: 1h. Checked 20 Sep 2026 · Taiwan Railway Corporation · official site.
The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.
Your next step
Tickets and the branch-line day pass are sold at staffed stations including Ruifang and Taipei; 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.
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Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.
Last reviewed 26 Oct 2026.
Official sources
Checked 20 Sep 2026
Checked 26 Oct 2026