TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Minister Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said on Tuesday (July 30) that a high-speed rail extension route to Pingtung is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.

Li said the extension may include a stop in urban Kaohsiung, with tracks being placed underground to avoid disrupting current roadways. Li said the railway extension would benefit Kaohsiung’s future development, and in the future may extend to Taitung.

Li met with reporters, saying the goal is to build a high-speed rail network around Taiwan. While Taiwan Railway has already accomplished this task, the high-speed network only extends from north to south, per CNA.

In the current proposed extension, new stops will be made in Pingtung and Chaozhou, with Li hoping to complete planning during his term in office. Li said the project is being discussed with city governments as well as the general public.

Li said that the current high-speed rail, which ends in Zuoying, passes close to chemical plants on both sides of the track near the Houjin River, creating potential risk. Discussions are underway with Japan's Shinkansen company to evaluate safer options.

According to Li, excavating a high-speed rail line between Pingtung and urban Kaohsiung is a possibility. This has been discussed for many years, as Kaohsiung's railway track has been moved underground for more than 10 years. There is a 100-meter space reserved for the high-speed rail at the current Taiwan Railway Kaohsiung Station.

Li said that creating an underground high-speed rail to Kaohsiung will lead to about 30 houses being demolished in Fengshan, which will require open excavation. Despite the government providing compensation, moving the houses back to the site at a later date will be difficult because they are quite old.

Li said that adding a new high-speed rail station in Kaohsiung will be a boost to the city’s long-term development, especially in the Asian New Bay Area, where more than 20 high-rise offices will offer unparalleled sea views that will attract many businesses.

As for the funding, Li said a shortage of workers and increasing raw materials will require more budget than when the plan was first considered many years ago.

So far, the MOTC Railway Bureau is beginning to carry out second-level environmental impact assessments, with more reviews and route analysis expected.