Future
Future passenger cars with the "sunset" livery
Overview
Service typeExcursion train
StatusReservation only
First service31 December 2020
Current operator(s)Taiwan Railways Administration
On-board services
Class(es)Business class only
Sleeping arrangementsNone
Catering facilitiesOn-board café
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Operating speed110 km/h

The Future[1] (Chinese: 鳴日號; pinyin: Míngrìhào) is an excursion train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) that is composed of refurbished Chu-Kuang Express rolling stock. As of November 2020, the train only operates if reserved in advance. The Future began services on 31 December 2020.

History

In February 2019, the TRA introduced a newly refurbished excursion train to be used for round-island train services, with plans to complete a total of 29 cars. However, the public's reception to these cars were poor: some critics described its interior design as "unappealing" and "hideous".[2][3] Some of these cars were further remodeled with a theme based around Hello Kitty, which were better received.[4] Meanwhile, the TRA's director-general, Chang Chen-yuan, created a committee in April of "the harshest critics of the train" and allotted 13 not-yet refurbished cars to JC Architecture (柏成設計), a Taiwanese design firm, for redesign.[2]

On 26 November 2019, the TRA announced that they are unveiling three new trainsets, each with its own theme: mountains (山景), ocean (海景), and sunset (夕景).[5] Two days later, the first group of "sunset" themed cars rolled out of Taiwan Rolling Stock Company's plant in Hukou, Hsinchu.[6] Between 13-22 December 2019, TRA held an exhibition in Taipei Station unveiling the design of the train, which was seen as a much better improvement.[7][8] The train was recognized in the 2020 Good Design Award in Japan.[9]

Design

Thirteen cars were refurbished for the sunset-themed Future: five 10500 series, five 10600 series, and three 10700 series cars. Out of these trains, two are dining cars, three are lounge cars, and eight are passenger cars. The exterior of the "sunset" train is painted in black and orange, a color scheme never used by the TRA before. Faced with a limited budget, the designers left the general layout of the train the same. Less vibrant colors were used for a minimalistic approach. The designers intended on making all seats white, but the TRA had already purchased blue seats for its original excursion train design; therefore, only a third of the seats are white.[2][10]

Operation

The Future has no regular timetable; instead, the train is only used if reserved, either through the TRA or through package tours offered by third party tour operators. Future began services on 31 December 2020.[10][11]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to TRA Future Express.
  1. ↑ Huang, Tzu-ti (26 November 2020). "Taiwan Railways to roll out tourist train fleet in 2021". Taiwan News. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 鄭景雯 (15 December 2019). "觀光列車從負評到好評 台鐵半年的美學進化" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central News Agency. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Cheng, Ching-Tse (13 December 2019). "All aboard Taiwan's 5-star tourist trains". Taiwan News. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. ↑ 鄭瑋奇 (3 July 2019). "跟Hello Kitty一起遊台灣！環島之星彩繪列車可愛亮相" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). China Times. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  5. ↑ 蕭玗欣 (26 November 2019). "台鐵拚了！ 新設計3款觀光列車主視覺曝光" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Liberty Times. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  6. ↑ 曹悅華 (28 November 2019). "尊榮黑X質感橘 台鐵全新觀光列車塗裝曝光" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  7. ↑ 曹悅華 (15 December 2019). "影／好評不斷！台鐵美學特展延至12月22日" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  8. ↑ 汪淑芬 (1 August 2020). "台鐵觀光列車鳴日號車頭也美 預計110年初營運" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central News Agency. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Transportation Design [Taiwan Railway Railcar Project]". Good Design Award. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  10. 1 2 胡丞皓. "尊榮大氣—商務車廂再改造". 鐵道情報 (Print) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). No. 243. 春臨臺灣文化事業坊. pp. 36–45.
  11. ↑ 曹悅華 (5 September 2020). "台鐵環島列車「鳴日號」明年1月上路 國旅新戰場" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). United Daily News. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
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