TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — During a Legislative Yuan Transportation Committee meeting last week, KMT Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) urged the government to consider building a new Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) station between the Taichung and Miaoli stations.
Yang, who represents Taichung, proposed a second station for the Taichung area, suggesting a location in northern Taichung near the airport. She argued that this would help alleviate traffic congestion in the city and better serve the transportation needs of residents in Taichung and southern Miaoli, LTN reported.
Her proposal follows Taiwan’s recent confirmation of plans to build a new HSR station in central Kaohsiung as part of the southern extension of the railway. Yang contended that Taichung, as Taiwan’s second-largest city, deserves similar attention and infrastructure investment.
Deputy Minister of Transportation Chen Yan-po (陳彥伯) responded by promising to conduct an initial feasibility study for the proposed station. Yang had previously made a similar request to the Ministry of Transportation last year, but it did not garner significant discussion, according to LTN.
Currently, the Taichung HSR station is located in Wuri District, which is relatively far from the city center. Many residents have expressed frustration at the long commutes required to access the station.
Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail system currently has 12 stations, with plans to add three more. Two of these will be part of a southern extension from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung City. Another new station is planned in Yilan County, extending HSR access from Taipei’s Nangang Station to Taiwan’s east coast.
Former Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) has previously outlined a long-term goal of creating a high-speed railway track circling Taiwan, which would include future stops in Hualien and Taitung.