There Is Now a Hello Kitty Train in Taiwan

The Hello Kitty mania has spread further in Taiwan. Besides EVA Air’s Hello Kitty planes, there is now a Hello Kitty-themed train in Taiwan.

The Hello Kitty Taroko Express train made its inaugural round-trip run today, from Taipei to Taitung. It is the first Taiwanese passenger train to feature the popular Sanrio character. This train is a result of a collaboration between Sanrio, Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and EVA Air.

The Hello Kitty train has eight carriages, each of which has its own design pattern. Both the interior and exterior of the train feature Hello Kitty motifs. Hello Kitty even appears on the seatbacks, serving carts, and meal boxes, which come wrapped with Hello Kitty drawstring bags at the price of NT$120 (US$3.65) each.

To commemorate the event, TRA has also come up with tickets for the inaugural run. These tickets are in the form of an old ticket which has been out of print for nearly three decades, according to TRA.

The first train will arrive at Taitung Station at 3.04pm, and stop for 20 minutes. TRA will allow 300 people to take photos of the train during the stop. Members of the public can register their interest on-site after 1.30pm.