Taipei: The Cabinet on Thursday approved a project to extend the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taipei to the northeastern county of Yilan, announcing plans to significantly reduce travel time between the two regions. Premier Cho Jung-tai highlighted during a weekly Cabinet meeting that the extension aims to alleviate congestion on National Freeway No. 5 and enhance transportation links between Taipei and Yilan, thereby boosting rail capacity in eastern Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, Railway Bureau Director-General Young Cheng-chung detailed at a Cabinet news conference that the 60.6-kilometer line will connect the HSR Nangang Station in Taipei with a planned HSR Yilan Station. The journey is projected to take approximately 28 minutes, as reported by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
The plan received approval following an environmental impact assessment in August 2025, with comprehensive planning finalized in January of the current year, Young stated. The project is estimated to cost NT$352.1 billion (US$10.9 billion), accounting for expenses related to station construction, train procurement, and land acquisition. Completion is scheduled for 2037.
Young also mentioned that the bureau will now commence the process of soliciting private-sector contractors, as well as undertaking urban planning, construction drafting, and land acquisition plans. Deputy Transportation Minister Wu Sheng-yuan noted that a new Taiwan Railway station will be constructed and integrated with the planned HSR Yilan Station near the Yilan County Hall to facilitate smoother transfers between the HSR and Taiwan Railway.
The bureau projects that the extension will cater to approximately 27,000 passengers on weekdays and 60,000 on weekends by 2051.