By KHT Staff. Photo via Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau.
KAOHSIUNG —A government audit of Kaohsiung’s 2025 final accounts found that the first, already-open section of the Red Line extension, between Gangshan South and Gangshan, carried fewer passengers and earned less fare revenue than projected. The next section, which will extend the line north to Lujhu, is now more than two years behind schedule.
The 1.46-kilometer first stage extends the Kaohsiung Metro Red Line from South Gangshan Station to Gangshan Station (岡山車站, RK1) in Gangshan District (岡山區), where passengers can transfer to Taiwan Railway services.
The audit recorded almost 2 million passenger trips and close to NT$20 million in fare revenue, compared with targets of 4.45 million trips and NT$89 million. A China Times report republished by Yahoo News did not specify the period covered by those totals.
The audit also identified unfinished water-pipeline relocation, slower-than-expected land acquisition and incomplete urban-plan amendments as reasons for delays to the next section of the extension.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Sung Li-pin (宋立彬) said parts of the work zone along Provincial Highway 1 had not yet been excavated, even as construction was already disrupting traffic. He called on the city to clear the obstacles or provide suitable alternative routes, warning that further delays could affect nearby industrial development.
The China Times quoted the Kaohsiung City Government Rapid Transit Bureau (高雄市政府捷運工程局) as saying RK1 ridership rose over 9% year on year in the first quarter of 2026. The bureau said it would promote TPASS monthly passes, work with local businesses and adjust train frequency during concerts and festivals.
Stage 2A, covering stations RK2 through RK6, is under construction. The bureau said major connections between old and new water mains are expected to begin in September 2026, with completion and opening targeted for the end of 2029.
An earlier Rapid Transit Bureau statement described the aging, 2-meter-wide water main beneath Provincial Highway 1 as the project’s biggest construction challenge. As of May 20, Stage 2A was 33% complete.
Stage 2B, covering RK7 and RK8 toward Luzhu, remains at the planning stage. The bureau said it would confirm the land needed for construction and begin the required urban-plan amendments. No opening date has been announced.
Map: View Gangshan Station, the extension’s current northern terminus, on Google Maps.
