By RK Shih/Staff. Images via KH City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — Light rail ridership exceeded 7.21 million trips during the first half of 2026, rising from 6.66 million during the same period last year, according to Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. (高雄捷運公司).
The total was also higher than the 6.58 million passenger trips recorded during the first six months of 2024, according to a report in the Liberty Times.
The busiest station rankings were unchanged from last year. C24 Heart of Love River Station (愛河之心站) remained the most heavily used, followed by C5 Dream Mall Station (夢時代站) and C3 Cianjhen Star Station (前鎮之星站).
Dream Mall recorded the largest year-on-year increase, with average daily ridership rising by 414 passengers. C10 Glory Pier Station (光榮碼頭站) gained 240 daily passengers, while Cianjhen Star added 213.
The transit company attributed growth at Dream Mall and Cianjhen Star partly to shopping and events around the Dream Mall area, and noted higher use of Glory Pier Station may be connected to new retail activity at Coral Plaza (珊瑚廣場), nearby markets, and the city’s winter amusement park.
The busiest single day of the six months was Feb. 19, the third day of the Lunar New Year holiday, when the light rail carried 99,005 passengers.
During the same holiday period last year, the busiest day reached 94,403 passengers.
February was also the busiest month this year, with an average of 53,178 passengers per day. The highest monthly average during the first half of 2025 was 44,415 in January.
Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. said stations near newly opened businesses, attractions, and major events often see immediate increases in passenger numbers.
It identified C8 Kaohsiung Exhibition Center Station (高雄展覽館站), C6 Commerce and Trade Park Station (經貿園區站), C7 Software Technology Park Station (軟體園區站), C35 Kaisyuan Wuchang Station (凱旋武昌站) and C36 Kaisyuan Ersheng Station (凱旋二聖站) as possible areas for future growth.
The C6 and C7 stations serve the newly opened Costco in Asia New Bay Area, while C35 and C36 are near the planned children’s park at the former Taiwan Railways Kaohsiung Workshop.
