“The metro will reshape daily life and urban patterns in Tainan,” the bureau said. “We are integrating rail construction with parking facilities and surrounding land development to build a more livable and accessible city.”

Concerns have focused on the construction impacts, particularly a planned 5.78-kilometer open-cut section through central Kaohsiung, which is longer than earlier estimates. Residents and business owners worry about extended traffic disruptions, noise, dust, and road closures.

Advance ticket sales begin January 13 at midnight for eastern corridor reserved-seat trains, including Yilan, North-Link, South-Link, and cross-line services. Western corridor ticket sales open January 14 at midnight, with bookings available for travel through February 23. Real-name eastern corridor trains open for booking at midnight on January 15 for passengers whose ID numbers begin with U or V, registered residents of Hualien or Taitung counties, and their spouses or first-degree relatives.

Under the plan, the new line will stretch approximately 26.2 kilometers and include two new stations: an underground HSR Kaohsiung Station and an elevated HSR Pingtung Station. Both will be co-located with Taiwan Railways (台鐵) stations, allowing passengers to transfer between systems within the station concourse without going outside.

Nationwide, Taiwan currently has 491 intercity bus routes, including 140 freeway routes and 351 conventional highway services , but many existing routes were planned 20 to 30 years ago and no longer match current travel patterns. The bureau is now reviewing major corridors, including Taipei–Keelung, Taipei–Taoyuan, Taipei–Taichung, Taipei–Tainan, and Taipei–Kaohsiung, to assess possible route mergers, frequency adjustments, and new stop placements.

Plans call for a 23-story mixed-use tower with four underground levels, directly integrated with the station’s No. 1 exit in what developers describe as a true “step-off-the-train-and-go-home” design.

By RK Shih/Staff – AI-generated image shows the dreams of some in Pingtung for significantly more transport options. PINGTUNG — A group…

By Eryk Michael Smith – NOTE: I am using the city’s official pinyin — under protest 🙂 KAOHSIUNG — A major resurfacing…

Train No. 1985 will depart Nangang Station at 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, stopping only at Taipei and Banqiao before continuing directly to Tainan and then Zuoying. The streamlined route will cut travel time to approximately 83 minutes from Taipei to Tainan and 95 minutes to Zuoying, offering a significantly faster late-night option for travelers heading to Tainan and Kaohsiung.

By RK Shih/Staff KAOHSIUNG — Ridership on the Kaohsiung Light Rail (高雄輕軌) continued to climb in 2025 following completion of its full…