By KHT Staff. Image via 我是屏東人.
PINGTUNG — The planned Taiwan High Speed Rail (高鐵) extension to Pingtung is again drawing attention after a Railway Bureau (鐵道局) estimate said the future Pingtung station could handle more than 7,000 passengers a day by 2051 (民國140年), raising questions about road capacity around Liukuaicuo (六塊厝).
The project would extend high-speed rail about 26.2 kilometers from THSR Zuoying Station (高鐵左營站) through Kaohsiung and across the Gaoping River (高屏溪) to a new Pingtung station at Liukuaicuo.
The Railway Bureau has said the line would include about 18.6 kilometers of underground track and 7.6 kilometers of elevated track. The Pingtung station is planned as a transfer hub with Taiwan Railways (台鐵), with the existing Liukuaicuo Station to be relocated and connected to the THSR station.
According to recent reporting, the bureau estimates that by 2051, daily passenger volume at the future Pingtung station could exceed 7,000, with peak-hour traffic approaching 900 passengers.
The same forecast has also raised concerns about congestion on Provincial Highway 1 (台1線), a major road outside the planned station area. Officials have said road improvements or greater use of public transport may be needed to handle future traffic.
The issue adds to wider local concern about the extension, including construction disruption, land use, traffic management, and whether surrounding roads will be ready by the time the station opens.
The Railway Bureau has separately said it is aware of concerns that construction could increase traffic pressure on Provincial Highways 1 and 17, especially from soil transport. It said phased scheduling, route diversion, off-peak transport, and monitoring would be used to reduce the impact.
Supporters say the project would improve access to Pingtung and support wider development around the future station. But the latest traffic projections show that the benefits of high-speed rail will depend not only on the rail line itself, but also on whether local roads and connecting transport can keep pace.
