Setting Off from the Coastal Line: Recreating a Century of Railway Glory in the Port City - Hamasen Railway Park Train Static & Dynamic Exhibition

1900 was the inaugural year for railways in Kaohsiung. The Takao Station was established in the area of present-day Wufu 4th Road, the maintenance shed, and the signal tower, with lagoons and tidal flats to the south. As railway transport became more frequent, the lack of hinterland became apparent, leading to land reclamation south of the station. In 1905, a railway over 500 meters long was extended southward to this newly reclaimed land, called the Coastal Line. The Japanese pronunciation of "Coastal Line," HA-MA-SEN, over time became "Hamasen" in the local vernacular. In 1908, the station was further expanded south to the site of the present-day Old Takao Station.
The existing Hamasen Railway Park is the Takao Station from the Japanese colonial period. As Kaohsiung's first train station, it served as a transit point for sugar and various goods entering and leaving Taiwan, marking a crucial starting point for Kaohsiung City's century-long urban development. After the passenger station relocated in 1941, it continued freight service under the name Kaohsiung Port Station until its decommissioning in 2008 due to the urban railway undergrounding project.

2024 marks the centennial of Kaohsiung's establishment as a city. Restarting railway operations is one of the city's most important annual projects. In addition to the operation of the "Hamasen" train, various train models have been gathered from across Taiwan for display at the Hamasen Railway Park. We invite everyone to witness the starting point of Kaohsiung's modern development, board this historical train, and return to the glorious era of Hamasen!

To commemorate its centennial, Kaohsiung has launched Taiwan's largest century-old railway revival project. This includes not only transforming the Coastal Line sightseeing train "Hamasen," upgrading the "Hamasen Railway Park," but also assembling various passenger, freight, and industrial-use trains from Taiwan's railway history for display on the century-old freight tracks, creating a Hamasen Railway Park unique to Kaohsiung's character.

The Coastal Line sightseeing train "Hamasen" echoes Kaohsiung Port's past freight characteristics, converting former freight cars into sightseeing trains with a Coastal Line style. The over 30 train models in the Railway Park were sourced from across Taiwan to match the historical significance of the Kaohsiung Hamasen Railway Park. After over a year of negotiations for borrowing, restoration, and transportation arrangements, they are finally on display on the century-old railway tracks.