TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Monday launched the 2025 Taiwan Science Train at Taipei Main Station, joined by National Science and Technology Council Deputy Minister Lin Faa-jeng (林法正) and Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-jing (林宜敬).
The train will embark on a six-day journey around Taiwan, engaging with children from both urban and rural areas to promote hands-on science education. The train is equipped with interactive games and educational materials designed to spark curiosity and encourage learning, per CNA.
Hsiao said the Science Train carries “knowledge, creativity, and dreams” from cities to the countryside, allowing more young people to explore and fall in love with science in their everyday lives.
Hsiao shared that as a child, she had a strong curiosity about science and a lifelong affection for trains. During her years as a legislator representing Hualien, she frequently traveled by train several times a week, saying it became an integral part of her work and life.
“From the train, I could see Taiwan’s beautiful mountains and ocean,” she said. “Trains are not only a means of transportation — they are bridges connecting people, places, and dreams. Now, they can also be classrooms on wheels where young people learn about science.”
Hsiao added that Taiwan’s greatest asset lies in its people, those who are willing to think, experiment, and explore. She encouraged young people to venture out into the world, experience different cultures, and bravely pursue their dreams, saying the “spirit of scientific exploration is the same as the courage to chase one’s dreams.”
The Taiwan Science Train project began in 2014, initiated by National Taiwan Normal University Professor Emeritus Chiu Mei-hong (邱美虹), then the convener of the National Science Council’s outreach program. Partnering with Taiwan Railways, Chiu launched a science-themed train to bring educational activities to schools and communities nationwide.
Over the past decade, more than 50 science educators and outreach staff have joined the train, reaching over 100,000 students and the public through interactive science experiences held at schools and train stations.
NSTC Deputy Minister Lin said the Science Train has evolved over the past 10 years from simply delivering science information to transforming children into “science communicators.”
This year, 18 high schools and vocational schools, seven junior high schools, and one elementary school are participating, including 11 from remote or Indigenous communities. More than 350 students have been trained as “train attendants,” or “little teachers,” dedicating their summer and after-school time to mastering scientific concepts and experiment design.
The NSTC said the train symbolizes the belief that science outreach should not be limited by geography or resources.
