An old mountain route shut down by Taiwan Railway 12 years ago was reopened last week, and railway fans rushed to Miaoli to take a nostalgic ride. However, many of them couldn't get a ticket, while some tourist groups seemed to acquire them with ease. Frustrated fans now suspect Taiwan Railway of favoring certain parties.

This women's group from out of town line up to enter the station and the guide has a stack of tickets that are distributed to all of the members.

Many railway fans may not like t his scene as there is a clear regulation stating that each person is only able to buy 6 tickets as the railway does not accept travel agency or group reservations.

If this is the case, then how can this guide have so many tickets for this Old Mountain Line which many people believe is unfair.

The Old Mountain Line from Miaoli's Sanyi to Taian has many tunnels and bridges, combined with steep slope making railway maintenance very difficult.

In September 1998 the line was suspended though at the end of June this year it was refurbished and opened.

It not only went through Taiwan's highest Shenghsing Station along with famous scenic spots such as the Yutengping broken bridge, along the beautiful mountain line which many train buffs relish.

However, the railway only operates one steam train on Wednesday, and from Monday to Friday in the afternoon a diesel train. So far, it has been hard to keep up with demand. Considering that the CK124 steam train is quite old, with parts that cannot be replaced, the railway won't be able to add capacity and though the railway doesn't accept group bookings, it still cannot prevent people from reselling the tickets.

In the future, it will consider adding more diesel-electric trains though more inspectors will be needed to examine the track.

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