本文主要就「鐵路便當」的出現與發展之歷史過程，進行全面且深入的考察。首先指出臺灣「鐵路便當」的出現，主要是縱貫鐵道全線通車之後，長途旅程的餐飲需求，促使1914年開始有叫賣商人在車站月台上叫賣「鐵路便當」。戰後初期，臺鐵為縮短北高之間的長途載運時間，1956年乃引進「飛快車」運行，但這款車因無法加掛餐車，因此才由臺中鐵路餐廳的經理陶德麟推出江浙口味的排骨菜飯，也是現今臺鐵排骨便當的最初原型。而當時臺鐵的車種大多沒有冷氣，諸多因素都導致臺鐵便當容易因放置過久而臭酸（臺語，意為食物氧化腐壞而發出酸臭味）。為此，1961年臺中鐵路餐廳的林火柴於是將原本的炸排骨，藉由先炸後滷的方式，提高便當的鹽份，使其較不容易臭酸。這樣逐漸在地化的口味，也成為往後國人對「鐵路便當」的懷舊記憶與味道。不過，雖然延長臺鐵便當的保存期限，但臺鐵餐旅服務總所的人事組織，以及整體的經營管理問題，都使得臺鐵便當的品質每況愈下。臺鐵便當改革的契機始於2000年所推出「懷舊鐵路便當」，並體認到應以臺鐵自身的文化記憶為核心，作為永續經營的行銷主力與品牌形象，才可能有改變的機會。因此，除藉由「懷舊創新」作為行銷策略，2005年還從「外部」單位延攬李玉霞主持臺北餐廳，經其努力革新，並在菜色融入客家口味後，於是開發出第三代臺鐵便當，並在隔年「紅衫軍」偶然的推波助瀾之下，為臺鐵便當開創出往後的新局。

This article presents a comprehensive and in-depth investigation into the historical process of the emergence and development of “Railway Bento.” It first notes that the original appearance of “Railway Bento” in Taiwan was primarily driven by the dining needs of long-distance travelers after the completion of the national railway system. This led to vendors selling “Railway Bento” on station platforms, starting from 1914. In the early post-war period, in 1956, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) introduced the “Diesel Flying Express” to shorten the journey time between northern and southern Taiwan. However, as this train couldn't have dining cars attached, the manager of the TRA’s Taichung Railway Restaurant, Tao De-lin, introduced Jiangsu-Zhejiang style pork chop rice, which became the original prototype of today’s TRA pork chop bento. At that time, most TRA trains lacked air conditioning, and various factors caused TRA Bento to spoil easily and become sour when left for too long. To address this problem, in 1961, Lin Huo-chai of the Taichung Railway Restaurant modified the original fried pork chops by first frying them and then braising them, increasing the salt content to prevent souring. This gradually localized flavor also became the stuff of nostalgic memory and the special taste of “Railway Bento” for Taiwanese people. However, despite extending the shelf life of TRA Bento, issues with the organization of TRA’s catering service and overall management led to a decline in the quality of TRA Bento. The opportunity for reform arose in 2000 with the introduction of the “Nostalgic Railway Bento.” Recognizing that TRA’s cultural memory should be the core, serving as the main force for sustainable marketing and brand image, reforms were initiated to bring about changes in TRA Bento. In addition to using “Nostalgic Innovation” as a marketing strategy, in 2005 external expert Li Yu-xia was recruited to lead the Taipei restaurant. Through her efforts to innovate and incorporate Hakka flavors into the dishes, the third generation of TRA Bento was developed. Then, with the unexpected help from the “Red Shirt Army” the following year, a new chapter for TRA Bento began.