The future: the most beautiful train in Taiwan

(CNN) – Taiwan’s first gourmet dining train has just hit the tracks – and this incredible creation is fast gaining fans not only for its food, but for its looks as well.

The Moving Kitchen was unveiled on the platform of Taipei’s Nangang Train Station in March 2022—a surreal moment for Johnny Chiu, founder of Taipei-based JC Architecture.

Looking at the elegant orange and black train, it’s hard to believe that when it debuted in 2019, its original appearance was referred to as an “aesthetic disaster” by local media.

Chiu completely redesigned the train, including new gourmet food carts, which is the main reason why this former “disaster” is now affectionately referred to as “Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Train”.

The message that started it all

“In Taiwan, train travel has always been a big part of our lives,” Chiu told CNN Travel.

“From the way to join the army (military service is mandatory for men in Taiwan) to come home to celebrate the Lunar New Year, to meet our girlfriends or grandmothers, train travel is in everyone’s memory.”

“The kitchen bar almost felt like a hospital, with the white plastic worktops and trash bins you could find on the streets. And with loud flowers painted on the wall – it wasn’t really cool. Everyone went crazy. The pictures were on every media site and every social media account. Social,” Chiu recalls.

Sad about the situation, Chiu wrote an open letter calling on everyone to view this as an opportunity to modernize Taiwan’s railways, and hoped someone would pass his message on to the TRA.

In response to the criticism, the TRA has enlisted a group of creators to find a more eye-pleasing solution. Someone saw Qiu’s open letter and communicated with him.

Chiu recalls, “I got an email response saying, ‘Johnny, great. We are glad to receive such a positive response. I’ll give you two weeks and please submit your thoughts to us.”

After two weeks of sleepless nights and whiskey-infused brainstorming sessions, Chiu and his team presented the TRA with a plan for the transformation. Soon, they were honored with the project.

More than 50 years old train made

But the real challenge is just beginning.

The team had just seven months to redesign the revamped orange train. Formerly known as Chu-Kuang Express, it was an old diesel locomotive from the 1970s.

“We didn’t know it was an old train,” Chiu says. “We had to dig everything inside and repaint everything.”

They faced many challenges, including structural and power issues.

There were complicated electrical wires that they needed to hide. Meanwhile, safety standards were higher than those of its usual indoor projects where the materials for the rails must be flame retardant and durable.

Hardware aside, it was also hard to convince a 132-year-old government organization to join these new design ideas.

“Taiwan Railway does not stand for determination – it stands for safety, punctuality and accuracy,” says Chiu. “But fortunately, the TRA Director and Deputy Director were able to make the tough decisions and drive the entire team with dedication and passion.”

The new design came together in seven months – and was introduced to the public again at the end of 2019, the historic orange still stands, but has been enhanced with black for a luxurious look.

The team replicated the original old Japanese style font on the livery.

The interior design is inspired by the natural environment of Taiwan, with wood trim and black stones used to echo the mountains and rock formations along Taiwan’s beaches – as the train will zip along.

“We even thought about how you’d get the ticket,” Chiu says. “Like at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, you open an envelope to find a golden ticket while you happily anticipate your flight.”

Future 2.0: Taiwan’s first gourmet train

With a big win, the TRA continued production of The Future 2.0 – the Moving Kitchen train.

Victor Cheng is the Senior Director of Lion Travel, which handles reservations for the train.

“Gourmet trains were a familiar concept in Japan and Europe but not in Taiwan,” he told CNN Travel. “But Taiwanese love trains and they love food – so it was a logical and attractive move to combine the two.”

As the only future travel company and largest travel agency in Taiwan, Lion Travel spent more than a year coordinating the experience with JC Architecture and TRA before unveiling it in March.

“To be Taiwan’s first five-star gourmet train, there were a few hurdles we had to overcome – lack of cooking water and electricity being the first two major difficulties,” Cheng says.

A large amount of water is needed for drinking, cleaning and cooking. But there is limited storage space on board.

To solve the problem, fresh water and utensils are loaded into the train between meals at stops. Staff are also working closely with partner catering operator, Silks Hotel Group, which operates luxury hotels and restaurants in Taiwan, to arrange necessary equipment on board.

“The second challenge is serving fine dining on a moving train. Our servers spent a long time practicing having a firm attitude while waiting for tables on a wobbling train. The timing of each dish also has to be fine,” Cheng says.

The delivery of each course coincides with the reviews that travelers will see.

For example, the first course for one of the meals on the two-day trip is abalone. It is served when the train arrives at Turtle Island, famous for its mollusks.

The second dish is a seafood salad on a blue platter, paired with a sea view of the eastern shore.

Afterwards, the meal continues showcasing local specialties such as hot spring vegetables (vegetables grown with local hot spring water), duck and purple sweet potatoes as they pass through various destinations.

“Because it is a travel train, we don’t have a timetable to rush from station to station. We can slow down the train through some of the most beautiful routes. The train will stop while passengers have dinner at its most beautiful. The stretch of the road – the train is closest to the sea in Hualien City” .

culinary journey

Cheng says that every party involved in the project has done their best to ensure the smooth running of the mobile kitchen.

“At the station where our train stopped, there was an overgrowth that obscured parts of the sea views. Knowing this, the TRA sent someone to pick weeds and prune trees during the trip,” Cheng says.

A train journey serves up more than just culinary experiences. It is combined with in-depth sightseeing activities such as visiting a local rice farm and fish port to understand what food they will eat on the train.

“So it’s not just about having a good meal on a moving train,” Cheng adds. “A moving kitchen combines food, scenery, and sightseeing into an all-encompassing journey.”

Unlike the first edition of The Future, the Moving Kitchen cars took about a year to revamp, allowing more time for customization.

There are two new dining carts with 54 seats, as well as a new bar and new kitchen. The dining rooms feature a mix of bar counters, sofa cabins, and two to four seater tables.

“We pushed the materials a little bit more,” says Chiu. “We bring in marble from Hualien County and straw made by indigenous tribes in southern Taiwan.”

“I’m also from southern Taiwan. I remember sitting on my grandmother’s rattan chair when I was a kid because she would spoil me with her cooking.”

Chiu was inspired to design a special rattan chair for Moving Kitchen. The chairs can be fixed to the floor for security but are designed to feel light.

The armrest is angled at 45 degrees, allowing occupants to easily squeeze their seat but “still have the armrest chair found in a really cool restaurant” – which JC Architecture has a lot of experience with designing.

Special Floodlights are designed to make food look delicious and easy to Instagram. The phone holder and the menu are installed next to the table. The sculptable wall lamp allows occupants to manipulate the shape of the delicate lamp shade.

Sold out until September

Cheng of Lion Travel told CNN Travel that the response has been very positive. The Gourmet Train launched on March 30 and tickets for Moving Kitchen trips are on sale through September.

“On the first trip, we had orange and black dress-up – matching the colors of the train. We see a lot of people who are dressed appropriately and can’t stop taking pictures once they get on the train. We were all very touched,” Cheng says.

Moving Kitchen currently offers one- or two-day itineraries. During the last period, guests leave the train and spend one night at a nearby hotel. Six tours depart each month.

There are also six more train rides on The Future – without the Moving Kitchen – every month. They are seasonal in nature and range from one to four days. The Future Train has four business class cars, each with 33 seats.

“I am very proud of this train. Because I think it is unique in Taiwan. I think it is successful because the train gives confidence to this 132 year old company. There is a saying that if the TRA can do it, other members of the public sector can also “.

“I also think there is a lot of history and culture, which we can explore and express in a new story. So I’m really happy that this one character changed the public sector.”