TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new Instagram hotspot with the theme of Taiwan’s vintage trains has opened as the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) announced the resumption of its rail services from Aug. 1.

Inaugurated on Tuesday (July 19), the facility in Pingtung’s Fangliao Township will serve as a cultural venue and a resting place for riders about to take the “Breezy Blue” trains, a retro-style tourist rail service offering passengers a dose of nostalgia.

The “Breezy Blue Hall” provides travel information, sells souvenirs, and will add shuttle services for those traveling around Hengchun Township and Kenting in Taiwan’s southernmost county, said Jason Wang (王文傑). Wang is the chairman of Lion Travel, operator of Breezy Blue tours and a major travel company in Taiwan.

Transformed from a former dormitory for rail workers, the hall sports a signature blue LED locomotive of the tourist trains on its exterior. Inside are an exhibition room, a bar area, and a service counter, along with works by American landscaping artist David Zinn, wrote CNA.

Launched in October 2021, the relaxing “Breezy Blue” tours had serviced 33,000 passengers as of June. The service connects Pingtung and Taitung, featuring coastal and mountain scenery.

Meanwhile, TRA has announced all train services will return starting August as COVID eases. Trains will be added from Taipei to Hualien and Taitung in anticipation of boosted demand during summer.

(Facebook, Breezy Blue Train photos)