Browsing: TRA trains

A prototype train with the new design is expected to enter trial operations by the end of this year, the company said. Budget and timeline details will be finalized following the tender process.

According to project details circulated online, the redevelopment will eliminate the existing roundabout and replace it with a U-shaped two-way road system. The new design will also introduce four signalized intersections in the station-front area. Public transportation routes will also be reorganized. Up to 32 bus routes are expected to be adjusted, with stops relocated to nearby streets, including Chenggong Road and Zhongshan Road.
City planners say the station forecourt will ultimately become a large pedestrian plaza combined with a modern transfer center linking trains, buses, taxis, bicycles, and other forms of shared transportation.

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.