TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said an extension to the Taiwan High Speed Rail system would circle the main island.
Yang told the Liberty Times that the loop would comprise four connected sections, with each taking about 90 minutes of travel time:
- Taipei to Hualien
- Hualien to Taitung
- Taitung to Kaohsiung
- Kaohsiung to Taipei
A return trip from south to north takes about three hours.
Yang said the THSR has been in service for 18 years and it was time for the southbound and northbound services to “move from west to east.” It would create considerable economic benefits for the relatively undeveloped region, he argued.
Despite some pushback against the plans on traffic grounds from Kaohsiung residents, the Kaohsiung-Pingtung phase is set to begin in 2028. It should take around 11 years to complete.
Taiwan recently confirmed plans to build a new THSR station in central Kaohsiung as part of the southern extension of the railway. Yang said the nation’s second-largest city needed more infrastructure investment.