Railways

As introduced by the Taiwan Yearbook 2006:

Railways in Taiwan

Taiwan's modern railway system provides frequent and convenient passenger services between all the island's major cities and, indeed, many of its smaller towns too. There are four types of passenger train services: Zihciang trains belong to the fastest express class and stop only at major stations; Jyuguang trains, the next fastest class, stop at more stations; Fusing trains stop at every station on designated routes; and local commuter trains serve mostly shorter routes, stopping at every station, and generally yielding to higher-priority trains.

The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) has undertaken numerous major construction and business renovation projects in recent years. These include adding a twin track to the mountain line between Jhunan and Fongyuan, and electrification of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung line. Certain projects are carried out on a continual basis, such as track structural maintenance, beautification along rail routes, and improvement of train safety facilities.

In business overhauls, the TRA adjusted the pricing structure, upgraded ticketing and information services, and improved facilities. The TRA has also invested heavily in upgrading services, such as in its purchase of 810 Zihciang train passenger cars, which are now all in service.

To support the government's target of doubling the number of tourists visiting Taiwan, the TRA has implemented programs to encourage tourism by train. One such program, a round-the-island package tour on the premium-class sightseeing train Star of Formosa, began on October 30, 2004, and includes first-class services and facilities and stays at five-star hotels. The TRA also operates regional train tours, such as the East Coast Tourist Express and West Coast Tourist Express.

To reduce noise pollution, eliminate traffic jams, improve environmental quality, and integrate the Taipei Rapid Transit Systems (TRTS) and the High Speed Rail Project, the Taipei Railway Underground Project (TRUP) is being carried out in four stages.

The first, second, and third stages of the TRUP -- connecting Wanhua with Huashan (including Taipei Railway Station), Huashan with Songshan, and Wanhua with Banciao, respectively -- are already operational. The fourth stage, which began construction in November 1998 and is scheduled for completion by 2009, will extend the line from Songshan to Nangang .

Plans to put the railway underground in Kaohsiung City were completed in November 1999. Construction is currently proceeding on the R11 Station for its mass rapid transit (MRT) red line, while the TRA Zuoying Station was completed in July 2005.

Plans are also underway to transform sections of the Taiwan mainline railway into MRT-type operations. These projects include the lines between Kaohsiung and Pingtung, Hsinchu and Neiwan, and Tainan and Shalun, and the Eastern Railway Line.

High-speed Railway

The Taiwan high-speed rail (HSR) system, the first major infrastructure project to be constructed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, will help reduce travel time from Taipei to Kaohsiung from 4 hours and 30 minutes by existing Zihciang trains to just 90 minutes.

The planned 345 km HSR route will traverse the western corridor of the island and cover ten stations: Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) signed the Taiwan HSR construction, operation, and development contract with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in July 1998. This officially granted construction and operation concessions of the project to the THSRC for 35 years.