Taiwan High Speed Railway

First of all, I do apologise on the lack of posting in this blog. As going on railway ride has been declining for me, it's very sad for my hobby as the progression is very little. But this time, I'am able to embark on a new journey. To start of with, I will update on my very first Taiwan's high speed train ride.

I have been to Taiwan before but that was only taking the MRT train in Taipei main city. Out of curiosity, I decided to take the chance this time on riding Taiwan's very own HSR.

*Disclaimer - The info that I write will be on my best of knowledge*

My first journey starts from Zouying station, the very south station of Kaohsiung to Tao Yuan station. 

Up to 16 cars in total, built on a 1,435mm standard gauge track.

I don't have the whole interior of the station but here's the important segment on before purchasing your ticket. Rule of thumb, do remember to check the railway schedule. One reason being is that mostly some of the services run on all stations and there's the semi and express routes. You may purchase a few days before or online booking and change to a physical ticket. The earlier you buy, discounts can be up to 35%.

Main station view of Zouying station when entering from escalator after exit of MRT.

Check the timetable to see your train number and any delays. There's a rare chance it will happen. 

When the time comes to be at the platform, take the escalator down or elevator. 

But before you enter, you be greeted to this sign. At a terminus station, cleaners will take a quick inspection on cleanliness of train before taking off. 

Train cleaners. They have one aim and that is to clean the train, turn the chairs to the ideal forward view in as quick as possible. 

Time to board. Who isn't excited to board a train eh? Okay some cars will differ from the rest. There's 3 type. (Non-reserve, reserve - similar seats but the name is what it is) and green (equal to a business) cars.

Walk your way through the aisle and be sure to be seated at your designated seat when you purchase reserve seating.

Similar like how an airplane ride feels like, there will be magazine and some brochure (not shown in photo) on the seat pocket. This handy information of facilities is on every tray table.

Speciality of car number 7

Once passengers were boarded, the train depart exactly on time as the timetable. So what's my conclusion of Taiwan's HSR? The ride experience is great and I like how the system implemented as a Japan HSR. This train ride is recommended highly if you're looking on saving cost on air travel as this is a great alternative. 

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Ignite my passion and beyond part 5 : The Awakening of travelling

Let's be honest, I missed a lot of my times spend during the days whereby train spotting it's as easy as going down the railway crossing. Chugging trains along the tracks are the whispering soul of the trains that blast through the urbanisation forest in Singapore. Well it may seem that does seem fascinating to glimpse back into the past but perhaps that's the apocalypse meltdown I felt after the last train left.

Nevertheless, these painstaking memories are needed to kept hidden somewhere to explore the new boundaries of train spotting that are much more challenging than the ones here.

 

Now I have look into onwards that my hobby has to go beyond the boundaries. Being brave it's one thing but having safety has no options. Precaution steps I have to take when upon a moving train or especially when trains are about to pass by at high speeds are needed at all times as these ensures that I'm not neglecting myself from issues that needs to be avoided.

 

 

A happy me indeed

 

 

But that doesn't stop me from just being in Malaysia. In other parts of the continents, there are places that I visited that eventually I pop into trains that run by the highway or places that I visited.

 

 

 

Eventually, my interest has out turn for the another. It seems that I have another interest and runs the chills through me somewhere. Where else I have never notice that I have a huge interest on travelling that really picks me up to travel out of Singapore to explore other countries. So stay tune for more updates as of now, my blog is going to be on trains and travelling :)



 

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Ignite my passion and beyond part 4 : The Last Railway in Singapore

The railway’s beginnings can be traced back to the Singapore-Kranji Railway which started service in 1903 providing a link from the north down to the terminal station in Tank Road. A ferry service was introduced which provided rail passengers with a link to the Johor Railway across the Straits of Johor which was replaced by the rail link across the Causeway when that was built. It was a railway deviation in 1932 that diverted the railway to its current terminal at Tanjong Pagar, cutting a path through from Bukit Timah deviating from its original route over towards Ulu Pandan, Buona Vista, Tanglin Halt, towards the new grand terminal built to provide Singapore with a station that was befitting of its economic importance. Beside the grand old station, it was this deviation that possibly provided us with the many structures that give the areas through which the railway passes through a unique flavour as well as helping preserving parts of old Singapore: the two distinctive black truss bridges across Bukit Timah Road; the girder bridges across at the road entrance to Bukit Timah Hill and at the entrance to Hillview Avenue; the quaint old station at Bukit Timah and the wonderful green corridor that has been maintained along much of the railway land.

Here are the last moments that Singapore once stood by with trains running along the concrete jungle. Many bloggers, photographers, video enthusiasts and the media, stand it's final week on witnessing the very few last departure that made traveling up to Malaysia an approach to tourist from the heart of the city. 

My compilations that made me teared up while making this. It was a very short fulfilling journey of my hobby here. But it seems that traveling up elsewhere or overseas is my best solution to continue my passion elsewhere. 

An eye to eye. Catchy feeling

One of my rarest and the only photo I manage to capture at this favorable curve.

 Zoom at it's focal end

Station master standing bravely while handing the token

Reaching to one of it's siding before another train passes

Cleared to process onto the mainline

 It's a slow incline slope towards the station. Which makes some chugging out lot's of thick black smoke especially on this model; YDM4

Frankly, this is the last I seen throughout my days

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Ignite my passion and beyond Part 3 : Trainspotting in Singapore

In this vast City jungle pack of Singapore, there's not may found about true wonders of trainspotting. But what does "trainspotting" really means? The definition of it simply complies of observing trains and logging the numbers. Generally involves standing around in any weather, watching the tracks.

Shot more than 4 years ago, ranging places of Sungei Kadut, Stagmont Ring, Ten Mile Junction and a few other places in Singapore, they are attracted among Singaporeans here by their roaring sounds of locomotive. Well it was great back then before everything taken away because of urbanization. What's left are just fond memories of my video capture.

Ten mile junction use to be railway crossing

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. YDM4 runs parallel along two side service tracks while ending it's journey from the Malay Peninsula

 Sungei Kadut Railway Crossing. Any moments from here use to be a clean capture of the train bending on it's corners

A rare gem to see nowadays. Seen here train moving along up and down the tracks on the left using a shared system on a daily basis. Middle and right are use for yard and shunting. 

Being a trainspotter means safety is adhere at all times. Standing at a safe distance away. Armed with our standard or telephoto zoom lense, we're able to capture the train presence when it passes by. 

"Blue Tiger" class 26 awaiting at Bukit Timah railway station for crossing in the morning with a Northbound train.

How about something blue perhaps? Class 29 from Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company. Primarily these loco is being tasked for freight trains but now it's being mixed with shuttle and express services when they being called up for duty

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Ignite my passion and beyond Part 2: Bukit Timah Railway Station

There's nothing much satisfying during my days as a young teenager to roam around at King Albert Park area. Especially that place calls the one that I'm looking forward to. Bukit Timah Railway Station was own by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and was use mainly for the purpose of doing train crossings when before it was use to share around Jurong Line as a freight interchange during 1965 to 1990s. Now from 30th June 2011 onwards, it's become a sole heritage purpose towards Singapore community to keepsake it's origins till further amendments takes place. Here are some videos and pics to share around during my days.

Cornering into the bends into likely what it use to be

Entering into the station

Tokens, as in during the British Era of communications in trains safety, are still being use during the days

The station master will handover another token to let pass this train to reach it's another destination.

Train leaves in a safe manner 

Token passing from an indian made locomotive called YDM4

An awesome catch by the driver

As I mentioned earlier, train crossings are the grand prize to any trainspotter's in Singapore. Well in particular if the locomotive may not turn out differently.

Tokens are being pass down first before exchanging another one after the train has passed by.

Taken my once in awhile visit. Much to it, didn't know it becomes my fave place to visit

While the fun had been a blast, it all comes to an end when the line makes it's unexpected closure when the agreements between the borders of Malaysia and Singapore were made to close the line and give the land back to Singapore. It was given a 1 year final run and oh boy it gotten to a lot people's attention that the place had been bombarded with random people from all ages and the best from other countries. 

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Ignite my passion and beyond Part 1: Hobby

My everyday passion has been interesting on what may have been a playful or somehow a hobby that seems to be an exaggerating fun that compile the togetherness. That hobby of mine is trains. During my childhood years that's funny of me to write this post up while laughing through my days of being a kid and simply just appreciate it. While this post may be fun to read about, but sadly photos of me during my kid days are just being photograph in a treasured book that I can't simply take it out. Well somehow, let's begin :)

A few of my daredevil stunts to record and take pics of moving trains. Safety it's the upmost

and I take care of my consideration when approach by the person on duty to stop me from

taking anymore if they find me too dangerous to do.

My hangover use to be place that has been my favorite in Singapore.

Train passing by at night is the best feeling to admire. 

In good cases, train crossing are the grand prize when spotting trains at Bukit Timah Railway Station.

These are some of the pics taken by me at Bukit Timah Railway Station except the first one which is taken in Kempas Bahru, Malaysia. 

Bukit Timah Railway Station has met a fateful cause that made the station to cease operations alongside with Tanjong Pagar Terminal on 30th June 2011. The shocking story will be reveal on the next post I'm posting on. 

Get creative and start shooting - Saifultrains

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About Saifultrains Productions

Well the awkwardness begins to escalate quickly as I'm typing this post about what I have been throughout my wonders of filmography. It's touché of me but it's worth recalling.

The logo. Very first of my simply childish logo that was circling my imaginary mind that's just mind blowing to me. I can't recall the application but mostly was some free software such as Corel Draw.

As productions of my free thinking mind keep going I decided, hey not why recreate another one that can last me throughout my whole productions. That idea has been redrawn soon after.

One simply curious, what is "Saifultrains"? Well simply, let's put in simple ways. "Saiful" it's my middle name and "trains" it's my long life passion and hobby that begins way back during my childhood days. Awesome right?

Moreover, I will be talking more about my hobby and passion towards trains and how it brought up to the idea that it's so contagious it reckons my mind to create a vast video productions that is amateurish but at the same time improving time and again. Till then, get creative and start shooting :)

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Sizzle the fire

This video is the start of one of the few videos that ignite my passion to continue filmography. Looking back at how this channel started off, was the question that still lingers my mind to now. As of it's very addictive that keep me going on to explore more.

Fun facts in the video : This is one of the sight and sound of Malaysian ones own in Singapore. Called Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.

- To be updated soon -

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Welcome! - Starting fresh on a new start

Decided to live up the hype of my filmography experience with a blog. 5 years ago it was shut down due to response were not overwhelming. But expected has been change with YouTube gone more global with Singapore added to one of it's partners. Making video has been a fondue to me when I started off with a Sony Handycam. That's right a video camera. Normally kids these days start off with something that's with photography basic. For me it was taken to the next level. Filmography back in the days of 2005 when 640x480 were common for everyone with standard size DVD footage. I take the approach to something that's challenging to me.  

Behold my first Handycam. As it were. Now it's resting in peace

As basic it can be, starting off as a newbie, I was thrilled by the excitement of exploring out of my comfort zone. The internet wasn't as a good start as there weren't many at that time. Instead, asking around was the best solution. 

On top of that, this concludes my first post of a new blog. Hopefully things will look nice upon changing templates.

Saifultrains

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