Waishae Light Rail Station Introduction
As early as 1911, Waishe Village in Luzhu was the terminal station of a light rail line! This railway once served as an important transportation hub for the countryside, but with the development of passenger transport, the section from Nankan to Waishe was dismantled in 1957, and the station disappeared as well. Today, the Waishe Community Development Association has decided to bring back this precious history, and at the end of 2011, they rebuilt the "Waishe Light Rail Station," allowing people to personally experience that simple yet nostalgic era. The era of light rail in Taoyuan marks the beginning of the development history of Taoyuan's bus transport, which can be traced back a century ago. At that time, the Government-General of Taiwan lent the official railway, and the "Taokan Light Railway Company" (the predecessor of today's Taoyuan Bus Company) constructed the light rail line, primarily responsible for transporting rice and agricultural products from the Waishe area and connecting the flow of goods between Taoyuan, Linkou, and Xinzhuang. This railroad was once a lifeline for rural development and a key link between residents and the outside world. To revive this history, the "Waishe Rural Regeneration Course students" initiated a reconstruction project and successfully obtained a NT$200,000 grant from the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, building a simple version of the light rail station and railway in front of the Waishe Community Activity Center. This is not only a cultural revival project but also hopes to promote the regeneration and development of the Waishe countryside, allowing more people to understand the stories of this land. Walking into the reconstructed light rail station, it first appears to be a bicycle station, but once you step into the station area, you will find the laid tracks and the vintage station design that perfectly restore the transportation scenes of that rural era. The most unique design is the winding tracks that even circle around a pond, with the water surface reflecting the surrounding houses and blue sky, creating a beautiful rural picture. The current Waishe Light Rail Station has become a local attraction; it serves not only as a venue for local education but also as a great place for tourists to experience the glory of early railroads. If you want to embark on a time-travel journey, this station will take you back a hundred years to feel the splendor of the light rail that once galloped through the countryside!
