- Length
- 3.1 kmSource and notes below
- Route shape
- One way
- Surface
- Surface not stated
- Traffic
- Shared walk and bike path
- Level
- Easy
- Riding time
- About 15 min at an easy 14 km/h, not counting stops Estimate ride time
- Families
- Good for families
- Climbing
- Not measuredNo official figure, so none given
The map loads here. Official map
Line: national cycling portal (MOTC), with its road types. Base map: National Land Surveying and Mapping Center.
Rest stops and stations along the official line
Rest stops
- 7-11博元門市 (toilets, drinking water, food and drink, first-aid kit)
Listed by the national cycling portal (MOTC). Services and hours can change: treat these as a guide, not a guarantee.
About the lengthNational cycling portal entry 嘉油鐵馬道 (3.1 km). Its drawn line, about 3.06 km (Cycle.tw's measurement), runs from the trail's Shixian Road stop (世賢路站) beside the CPC plant to Gexiliao stop (鴿溪寮站), the two end stops in Chiayi City's open-data map of the trail. Chiayi City Tourism's page gives 3,500 m, ending at the Astronomy Plaza of the Tropic of Cancer stop (北回歸線站天文廣場). Chiayi City's open-data description says the trail ends at Gexiliao stop and joins the Beihui bikeway (北回自行車道) there; its map line carries on about 0.9 km past Gexiliao (Cycle.tw's measurement), which likely explains the longer figure, but no official page says so.
Why these labels
Traffic and path type: The national cycling portal classes the whole line as a shared walking and cycling path (自行車與行人共用道). Chiayi City Tourism describes a bike path about 2 m wide on each side of the old track plus a landscaped walkway, with flower arches at the main road crossings, so expect people on foot and cross streets such as Minsheng South Road, Xinmin Road and Nanjing Road (stops are named after them in the city's open data). How each crossing is controlled is not described. A 2025 news report said the city was installing 12 licence-plate cameras with loudspeakers to warn and report vehicles that enter illegally.
Families: Short, on a former railway line, and classed by the portal as a shared path away from traffic for its whole length. Chiayi City Tourism calls it a good outing for families. Hold children's hands or stop at each road crossing, and watch for people walking.
Chiayi City Tourism explains that the trail reuses the branch railway of the Chiayi Chemical Plant, built in 1942 to link the plant to the main line. The city turned the idle track into a bike path and greenway, named by public vote, and dates the trail to 2008 (民國97年).
The trail runs west from beside the CPC plant on Shixian Road Section 4 through the Meiyuan, Guanglu and Hunei neighbourhoods, then crosses into Shuishang Township in Chiayi County. Chiayi City's open data names seven stops along it: Shixian Road, Minsheng South Road, Xinmin Road, Nanjing Road, Hongwacuo, Daojiangzhen and Gexiliao.
Chiayi City Tourism mentions pavilions, a wetland, lotus ponds and planting along the path. News reports say the city added lighting and three public toilets in a works phase finished in October 2024, and started a third phase on the Chiayi County section in May 2025.
Who it suits
Suits families, beginners and anyone in Chiayi with an hour to spare. Skip it if you want distance: pair it with the Shixian Road Bikeway, which meets it at Nanjing Road, or the 25 km Chiayi City Ring Bikeway.
The route
A ride plan, in order
- Start at the Shixian Road stop beside the CPC plant (YouBike nearby at 嘉義大學新民校區宿舍(賢德樓) or 興美十街興安街口), or join at Lane 465, Xinmin Road if you come by bus.
- Ride west past the Minsheng South Road, Xinmin Road and Nanjing Road stops. The Shixian Road Bikeway meets the trail near the Nanjing Road stop if you want to ride north.
- Continue past Hongwacuo and Daojiangzhen into Shuishang and finish at Gexiliao. Return the way you came, or drop a YouBike at 北回歸線太陽館.
Opening hours and closures
Opening hours and closuresChiayi City Tourism lists it as open 24 hours a day. Phase 3 works on the Hongwacuo to Gexiliao section were reported to run from May to the end of October 2025; completion was not confirmed.
Getting there without a car
- TRA Chiayi Station is about 1.9 km in a straight line from the Shixian Road stop (Cycle.tw's measurement); no official page describes a bike route between them.
- By bus (national cycling portal): from TRA Chiayi Station take the Chiayi County bus Zhongxiao-Xinmin trunk line (red line) toward 勞工育樂中心 to the 新民南京路口 stop; the trail entrance is at Lane 465, Xinmin Road.
- YouBike: YouBike's station data lists 嘉油鐵馬道(新民路) at Lane 465, Xinmin Road and 嘉油鐵馬道(紅瓦厝站) beside the trail (Chiayi City), 嘉義大學新民校區宿舍(賢德樓) and 興美十街興安街口 within about 200 m of the east end, 嘉義火車站(出口) at TRA Chiayi Station, and 北回歸線太陽館 (Chiayi County system) about 330 m from the west end (Cycle.tw's measurement). Check bikes and docks in the YouBike app.
Bringing your own bike: TRA Chiayi Station is on TRA's bike (兩鐵) station list, so an unbagged bike can travel on bike-service trains there with a bike ticket and a limited quota per train; a fully bagged bike can go on any train. Jiabei Station is not on the list. Check Cycle.tw's transit page or TRA's site before you go. HSR takes only packed bikes; from HSR Chiayi Station, BRT 7211 and 7212 run to the Chiayi City Transfer Center behind TRA Chiayi Station (Chiayi City Tourism).
Renting a bike
Verified public bikes: YouBike (Chiayi City) has stations beside the trail and at TRA Chiayi Station, and YouBike (Chiayi County) has a station near the west end, so a one-way ride is possible. Whether a cross-area fee applies between the city and county systems was not confirmed: the Chiayi City rate page puts both in the same group in its cross-area table. No rental shop was verified.
- YouBike (Chiayi City) YouBike微笑單車（嘉義市）
Public bike · Chiayi City
Rates on the Chiayi City rate page: YouBike 2.0 NT$10 per 30 minutes for the first 4 hours (NT$20 per 30 minutes from 4 to 8 hours, NT$40 after 8 hours); YouBike 2.0E NT$20 per 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, then NT$40. Members' first 30 minutes on 2.0 are free (city subsidy, NT$10 off on 2.0E) until 2026-12-31; Single Rental by credit card gets no subsidy and puts a NT$3,000 hold on the card. Stations used here include 北香湖公園(博愛路), 嘉油鐵馬道(新民路), 嘉油鐵馬道(紅瓦厝站), 蘭潭音樂噴泉(嘉大宿舍側門) and 嘉義火車站(出口). Check bikes and docks in the app.
Website - YouBike (Chiayi County) YouBike微笑單車（嘉義縣）
Public bike · Chiayi County, including Liujiao, Taibao, Puzi and Dongshi
Stations used here: 六腳鄉公所 (蒜頭村73號), 蒜頭國小, 國立故宮博物院南部院區 (two stations), 東石漁人碼頭 (觀海三路/黎明八路口), plus several in Puzi city. Check the app for bikes and docks.
Website
Confirm hours, rates and availability directly with the provider. Cycle.tw does not take bookings.
Toilets, water and food
News reports say three public toilets were added in the works finished in October 2024, and name smart toilets at the Hongwacuo and Daojiangzhen stops (2025). Chiayi City Tourism mentions pavilions along the path. The national portal lists TRA Chiayi Station as a cyclist rest stop with toilets, water, food and repair. Water points and shops on the trail itself are not listed officially.
Safety and conditions
- Shared with people walking: ring your bell early and slow down.
- Stop and look at every road crossing; the official pages do not say which have signals.
- Wear a properly fitted helmet, even on a short path ride.
- Chiayi summers are hot: carry water, ride early or late in the day, and use sun protection.
- Check the Central Weather Administration forecast before you go. Heavy rain, typhoons and earthquakes close paths, river parks and roads, sometimes for weeks.
- Wear a properly fitted bike helmet, whatever the law says for your bike.
When to go
Any dry day; early morning or late afternoon in the warm months.
Nearby and related
Emergency: 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance. From a mobile phone, 112 also reaches emergency services.
Sources
- Jiayou Rail Trail: old CPC railway, starts beside CPC plant on Shixian Rd Sec 4, through Meiyuan, Guanglu,... (Chiayi City Government, Tourism and News Department)
- Jiayou Bicycle Trail (English): same facts (Chiayi City Government, Tourism and News Department)
- Open data: Jiayou trail starts beside CPC plant on Shixian Rd Sec 4, ends at Gexiliao stop and joins the... (Chiayi City Government via data.gov.tw)
- KMZ of Jiayou and Beihui bikeways: stops Shixian Rd, Minsheng S Rd, Xinmin Rd, Nanjing Rd, Hongwacuo,... (Chiayi City Government open data)
- Portal 嘉油鐵馬道: 3.1 km, all shared walk and bike path (MOTC national cycling portal)
- Portal road type legend (MOTC national cycling portal)
- YouBike station data: Chiayi City (area 08) stations incl (YouBike)
- YouBike Chiayi City rates, city subsidy to 2026-12-31, Single Rental NT$3,000 hold, cross-area table... (YouBike)
- TRA bike (兩鐵) station list: includes Chiayi and Minxiong (Taiwan Railway Corporation)
- TRA bike-bag and bike-train rules (Taiwan Railway Corporation)
- BRT 7211 and 7212: HSR Chiayi Station to Chiayi City Transfer Center (behind TRA Chiayi Station) (Chiayi City Government, Tourism and News Department)
- Jiayou phase 3 (Hongwacuo to Gexiliao, about 1 km, NT$35 million) began 2025-05-16, due end October 2025 (Liberty Times)
Checked November 2026 Next review due January 2027.
Printed from https://cycle.tw/routes/jiayou-rail-trail/