By RK Shih / Staff. Image is an AI + artist rendition of what the Y15 MRT Station area may look like after completion.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung’s metro system is preparing for one of the largest transportation expansions in the city’s history as construction moves forward on the long-planned Yellow Line, a 22.9-kilometer route expected to add 23 stations and significantly reshape how residents move across the city.
The line has now entered its main structural construction phase, according to recent reporting by the 我是高雄人 Facebook page, which cited city sources. The project, which carries an estimated budget exceeding NT$100 billion. The line has now entered its main structural construction phase. Once completed, the Yellow Line (with a building cost expected to exceed NT$100 billion) will connect with the existing Red and Orange MRT lines, the circular light rail system, and Taiwan Railways services, creating what planners describe as a comprehensive transit backbone for southern Taiwan’s largest city.
Several stations along the line are already drawing attention because of large-scale development plans tied to the project.
At Y15 in the Asia New Bay Area, electronics giant Foxconn is investing almost NT$16 billion to build a flagship office complex near the station. The development will include an elevated pedestrian bridge linking the station directly with the Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, a project officials say could generate roughly 3,000 jobs.
Other stations are also being designed with distinctive features. Y18, located near the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), is expected to include a landscaped cultural plaza and a flexible “black-box theater” designed for experimental and small-scale performances.
Meanwhile, a large sunken plaza and integrated commercial spaces are part of plans for Y10, which will serve the Kaohsiung Main Station and Taiwan Railways’ Minzu Station area, aiming to combine transit with retail and public gathering areas.
The ambitious station designs have also prompted discussion among residents and city council members about the architectural quality of the new line.
Kaohsiung’s Red Line already includes two stations widely praised for their design -Formosa Boulevard Station, famous for its Dome of Light installation, and Central Park Station, known for its distinctive modern architecture. Some civic leaders argue that the Yellow Line should strive for a similar international standard in station design and public art.
Urban planners involved in the project have also proposed giving each station a distinctive identity reflecting the surrounding neighborhood. Early concepts include creating a senior-friendly environment around Y4 near Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and incorporating Indigenous architectural elements near Y3, which is close to the planned National Indigenous Museum.
Officials with the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Bureau say stations near the Indigenous museum site and the Weiwuying arts district will receive particular attention as signature locations that blend local culture with internationally competitive design.
