Waishae Light Rail Station Introduction
As early as 1911, Waishe Village in Luzhu was the terminus of a light railway! This railway once served as an important transportation hub for rural areas, but with the development of passenger services, the section from Nankan to Waishe was dismantled in 1957, and the station disappeared along with it. Today, the Waishe Community Development Association has decided to recreate this precious history, and at the end of 2011, they rebuilt the "Waishe Light Railway Station," allowing people to experience that simple and nostalgic era. The era of the light railway in Taoyuan opens a chapter in the development history of Taoyuan Bus that dates back a century. At that time, the Japanese colonial government lent official track to the "Taokan Light Railway Co., Ltd." (the predecessor of today’s Taoyuan Bus Company) to build the light railway, primarily responsible for transporting rice and crops from the Waishe area, and connecting the flow of goods between Taoyuan, Linkou, and Xinzhuang. This railway was once the vital lifeline for rural development and the key connection between residents and the outside world. In an effort to revive history, the "Waishe Rural Revival Course Students" initiated a reconstruction project, successfully obtaining a subsidy of 200,000 NTD from the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of the Council of Agriculture to build a simple version of the light railway station and track 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 rural area, allowing more people to understand the stories of this land. Walking into the reconstructed light railway station, the first sight may look like a bicycle station, but as you step into the station area, you will find the laid tracks and the retro station design, perfectly restoring the transportation scene of the past rural area. One of the most special designs is the winding track that even circles around a pond, reflecting the surrounding houses and blue sky, creating a beautiful rural picture. The current Waishe Light Railway Station has become a local landmark. It serves not only as a teaching venue for local education but also as a great place for visitors to experience the elegance of early railways. If you want to take a time travel, this station will take you back a hundred years to feel the glory of the light railway that once raced through the countryside!
