TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Minister without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) on Saturday and Monday criticized the cost-effectiveness of the government’s proposed high-speed rail extension to Yilan.
Citing the short distance of roughly 50 kilometers between Taipei and Yilan, Chang said the route is ill-suited for high-speed rail, per UP Media. He said that with only one or two trains scheduled per hour, the service may not be attractive enough to persuade commuters to choose it over other options.
Chang warned the project could significantly erode Taiwan Railway revenue while doing little to alleviate congestion in the Hsuehshan Tunnel. He said that before then Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) selected high-speed rail as the preferred option in 2019, internal assessments had long favored building a new, straighter railway line between Taipei and Yilan.
Chang said his discussions with transportation scholars and former colleagues across multiple transport-related government agencies found little support for the high-speed rail extension, which he described as a political decision, per Storm Media. He added that inquiries into who made that decision were met with unanimous denials of responsibility.
Pointing to projected construction costs rising from NT$176.4 billion (US$5.5 billion) to potentially more than NT$400 billion, Chang urged President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and his administration to reconsider the proposal.
Former Transportation Minister Ho Chen-tan (賀陳旦) also backed the new railway line option, saying it would allow commuters to remain within the same rail system, per UDN. He warned that establishing a high-speed rail hub in northern Yilan could concentrate development there, undermining the government’s long-standing goal of balanced regional growth in Yilan.
Former Interior Minister Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) echoed those concerns, saying the key question is not whether high-speed rail can be extended to Yilan, but why it should be, per CNews. He warned the project could turn Yilan into a suburb of Taipei, eroding the county’s identity.
Lee suggested using the existing Taiwan Railway corridor to reduce costs and allow travelers to transfer easily to local rail services at Yilan Station.
As for alternatives, Chang reiterated support for the new railway line option. He said earlier concerns over impacts on the Feitsui Reservoir watershed had doomed the plan, but argued those risks should be reassessed, noting the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway has operated for two decades without significant environmental damage.
Despite opposition from former ministers, local politicians have voiced support for the extension, per UDN. DPP Yilan County Council caucus whip Chen Wen-chang (陳文昌) said he respected Chang’s views but stressed that the government has already thoroughly reviewed both the extension plan and the new railway line proposal.
Chen urged the Cabinet to approve the project to advance major infrastructure development in Yilan. KMT Yilan County Councilor Yang Hung-ming (楊弘旻) also backed the plan, saying it would allow him to visit friends and relatives in southern Taiwan without transferring out of the high-speed rail system.
The Taiwan Railway Union opposed the extension in August 2025, warning it could reduce Taiwan Railway’s annual revenue by NT$800 million, per CNA. Union official Wu Shih-chao (吳世昭) said high-speed rail would be only about 20 minutes faster than the new rail line proposal, and that transfers between high-speed rail and local rail would erode most of the time savings.
Wu criticized the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for, in his view, intervening in Taiwan Railway operations while distancing itself from areas where the operator struggles. He said demands for Taiwan Railway to sacrifice revenue in favor of high-speed rail were difficult for employees to accept.
