Taipei, Nov. 8 (CNA) The sixth edition of the Taiwan Railways Administration's Formosa Railroad Bento Festival will feature specially designed boxed meals from local hotels and foreign railway companies, the railway operator said in a statement Sunday.
Although the event has been downsized in terms of the number of foreign railway companies participating, the operator said it will still present a selection of meal boxes with unique features in terms of the food provided and design of the boxes.
Last year, 27 railway companies and related businesses from five countries took part.
A total of five Japanese railway companies are scheduled to take part in the event this year, which will be held at Taipei Main Station from Nov. 13-16, where eight boxed meals they offer will be on sale along with local offerings, according to the statement.
Several of the meal boxes created by the Japanese companies are in the shape of trains from the past or currently in operation, including a steam locomotive called Taiju from Tobu Railway Co., and two bullet train models from East Japan Railway Co. -- the E6 series in red and the E7 series in blue, the Taiwanese operator noted.
There will also be one offering each from Switzerland and France, the Glacier Express Sticky Rice Dumpling and a Mont-Blanc Express dessert box, respectively.
Meanwhile, four local hotels have each come up with unique meals on the go, such as the Marriott Courtyard Taipei hotel's surf and turf meal in a round stainless steel box and Cosmos Hotel's meal featuring Cantonese dishes, the railway operator said.
In addition, China Airlines' catering subsidiary will present nine bite-size sandwiches and desserts in one meal box for the festival, according to the operator.
The state-run railway operator said it will showcase classic boxed meals from four of its stations -- Taipei, Fulong in New Taipei City, Checheng in Nantou County and Guanshan in Taitung County.
Only a limited number of boxed meals will be available, from 30 to 250 per day, while prices will range from NT$65-$500 (US$2.27-$17.47), according to the rail operator.
