Waishae Light Rail Station Introduction
As early as 1911, Waishe Village in Luzhu was the terminus of a light railway! This railway used to be an important transportation hub for the rural area, but with the development of passenger transport, the section from Nankan to Waishe was dismantled in 1957, leading to the station's disappearance. Today, the Waishe Community Development Association has decided to bring this precious history back to life by recreating the "Waishe Light Railway Station" at the end of 2011, allowing people to personally experience that simple yet nostalgic era. The era of light rail in Taoyuan opens a chapter in the development history of Taoyuan's bus transport that can be traced back a century. At that time, the Governor-General's Office of Taiwan lent the official railway tracks 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 agricultural products from the Waishe area and linking the flow of goods between Taoyuan, Linkou, and Xinzhuang. This railway was once a vital artery for rural development and a key connection for residents with the outside world. In an effort to revive this history, students from the "Waishe Rural Regeneration Course" initiated a reconstruction project and successfully secured a subsidy of NT$200,000 from the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, creating a simple version of a light railway station and railway in front of the Waishe Community Activity Center. This is not only a cultural revival project but also aims to promote the regeneration and development of the Waishe rural area, letting more people understand the stories of this land. Walking into the reconstructed light railway station, at first glance, it resembles a bicycle station, but once you step into the station area, you will find the laid tracks and the antique station design, perfectly recreating the transportation scene of the rural area back then. One of the most unique designs is the winding tracks, which even circle around a pool, with the water reflecting the surrounding houses and blue sky, forming a beautiful rural painting. Now, the Waishe Light Railway Station has become a local特色景點. It is not only suitable as a local teaching site but also a great place for tourists to experience the glory 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 rural light railway!
