TheTaroko Express (Chinese:太魯閣號;pinyin:Tàilǔgé Hào) is an express train service ofTaiwan Railway Corporation, and is part ofTze-Chiang Limited Express. The name of the service comes from the 19-kilometre (12-mile) longTaroko Gorge, which is one of Taiwan's most popular tourist spots, and theTruku people. It began commercial operations on 16 February 2007.
TheTaroko Express uses thetiltingelectrical multiple unit series known as TEMU1000 based on theJR Kyushu885 series. They were imported to Taiwan in 2006; since 2007, they have been running betweenHualien andTaipei City, on the curvedYilan line at the existingnarrow gauge tracks, where they reduced traveling time between the two places from previously 3 hours down to about 2 hours.[1] Some trains also continue from Taipei toTianzhong. Its maximum operational speed is 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).[2]
Taroko Express set 7 inHello Kitty livery atKaohsiung in 2016. After the livery was removed, this trainset would laterderail, killing 49.
^"太魯閣號事故遺骸DNA比對出爐 罹難者確認49人" [DNA Matching Results of Taroko Express Derailment Released, Death Toll reduced to 49].www.cna.com.tw. 11 April 2021. Retrieved11 April 2021.
Media related toTRA TEMU1000 at Wikimedia Commons
Passenger rail services of theTaiwan Railway