Under the Chinese Nationalists' rule from 1945 onwards, a variety of private catering services sprang up as railway transportation gained popularity.

On 9 Jun 2000, the pork chop bento, which had been discontinued for 32 years, reappeared in public on the Railways Festival.

On 26 Feb 2015, Keikyu Corporation, a Japanese rail operator, sold Taiwan Railway Mealboxes as a promotional event.

During meal times (11:00-13:00 and 17:00-19:00), car attendants walk down the aisle of the train with a trolley, asking if there are passengers who would like a bento in Mandarin and Hokkien.

The containers were originally made of stainless steel, which were returned and washed after the contents had been consumed.