Kaohsiung Railway Workshop Transforms into Family Amusement Park! Retired Rail Workers Lead Tour of 100-Year-Old 'Train Hospital'

The Kaohsiung Railway Workshop, renowned as the 'Train Hospital,' has officially transitioned into a new era after completing its historic mission. The revitalized 'Kaohsiung Family Amusement Zone,' developed from the former workshop site, will officially open on August 8—Father's Day—offering diverse family-friendly play facilities and integrating railway culture through the 'On-Site Railway Workshop Exploration Exhibition' and weekend-exclusive guided tours. Visitors are invited to step into the former heart of railway maintenance and explore over a century of Kaohsiung's railway development.

Unveiling 120 Years of History: Railway Workshop Exhibition and Exclusive Tours

Retired Kaohsiung Workshop Director Hsieh Jin-kun shares stories from his days as a railway worker, guiding visitors back to the original workspaces. (Photo: Kaohsiung Museum of History)

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai stated that the workshop, tracing its origins back to the Takao Branch Workshop era, has over 120 years of history, serving as a vital witness to Kaohsiung's industrial growth and a shared urban memory for many citizens. While promoting the site's revitalization, the city government emphasizes historical preservation by organizing the on-site exhibition and guided tours, aiming to help the public appreciate Kaohsiung's railway culture while enjoying family recreation.

On opening day, retired employees formerly stationed at the Kaohsiung Workshop will serve as tour guides, personally leading visitors through key historical areas such as the freight car workshop, passenger car workshop, and transfer table. They will share frontline work experiences and stories of railway craftsmen, bringing long-dormant workshop memories vividly back to life.

The history of the Kaohsiung Workshop dates back to 1901. With the opening of the railway line from Takao to Tainan, the 'Takao Branch Workshop' was established to handle rail vehicle maintenance. It later evolved into the 'Takao Workshop' and then the 'Kaohsiung Railway Workshop,' becoming one of Taiwan's three major railway workshops. After WWII reconstruction, it was renamed the Kaohsiung Workshop. From 1953, it specialized in freight car inspections, and in 1975, it relocated to a new site at the junction of Fengshan, Cianjhen, and Lingya districts. There, it shouldered the critical task of maintaining both freight and passenger cars for Taiwan Railways, employing up to 850 workers and completing nearly 2,500 freight car inspections annually—earning it the nickname 'Train Hospital.'

With the undergrounding of Kaohsiung's railway and urban development, the workshop gradually ceased operations at its original site starting in 2018. Maintenance operations were transferred to the Pingtung Chaozhou Vehicle Depot, with the relocation completed in 2022—marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in the adaptive reuse of the old site.

In conjunction with the park's opening, the Cultural Affairs Bureau is launching the 'On-Site Railway Workshop Exploration Exhibition,' using historical photos, textual explanations, and on-site displays to introduce key facilities such as the freight and passenger workshops, paint shop, machine shop, assembly hall, and transfer table. This exhibition guides visitors through the workshop's development and the labor memories of railway workers.

Additionally, from August 8 to August 30, guided 'Railway Workshop Exploration Tours' will be held every Saturday and Sunday. Each 40-minute tour, led by trained guides, will take visitors into previously restricted areas of the workshop, offering deep insights into rail vehicle maintenance and Kaohsiung's railway culture. Tours are open to walk-in participants; visitors can gather at the 'Caiyu Mountain Beast' entrance on the park's north side at scheduled times to explore Kaohsiung's precious railway cultural assets together.