By RK Shih / Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung City officials say a proposed new metro line serving Renwu District (仁武區) is moving into a critical planning stage, with the city aiming to submit an updated rail network proposal to the central government by June.
The plan was outlined at a public briefing held on Thursday at the Renwu District Office, where officials from the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Bureau and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications met with residents, borough chiefs, and legislators. The proposal responds to rapid population growth in northern Kaohsiung and long-standing calls for improved mass transit access beyond the city’s existing Red and Orange Lines.
According to Deputy KRTC Director Wang Cheng-yi (王正一), preliminary route concepts would link Renwu to Kaohsiung’s established metro network, potentially connecting to the Red Line’s Kaohsiung Arena (巨蛋) Station, a major commercial and transit hub. Local leaders urged planners to integrate station sites with mixed-use developments, including community centers, social housing, and elder-care facilities, through joint development projects.
Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) called on the city to prioritize Renwu in future rail expansion, emphasizing the use of publicly owned land and minimizing private land expropriation. She also urged the city to introduce interim bus routes ahead of construction to help residents shift gradually toward public transit use.
Some residents raised safety concerns over potential underground construction along Fengren Road (鳳仁路), which runs above dense petrochemical pipelines. Officials said alignments and construction methods, including elevated versus underground sections, remain under evaluation.
The KRTC said Renwu is increasingly seen as a strategic growth area linking industrial zones, residential development, and northern Kaohsiung’s broader urban expansion. If approved, the project would proceed to feasibility studies and comprehensive planning.
