Taiwan High Speed Rail (台灣高速鐵路) is Taiwan's high-speed rail under construction with completion scheduled in 2005. It runs approximately 345 kilometers from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Adopting Japan's Shinkansen technology for the core system, the Taiwan High Speed Rail will use the 700T Series Shinkansen, produced by a consortium of Japanese companies, most notably Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The total cost of the project is currently estimated to be USD$16 Billion. When completed, trains will travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung in roughly 90 minutes as opposed to the current 4-6 hours by conventional rail.

Running tests have begun as of January 2005.

Stations

• Nangang (planned): underground, locatated in Nangang
• Taipei: underground, located in downtown Taipei City, sharing the station with Taiwan Railway Administration
• Banciao: underground, located in Banciao, sharing the station with Taiwan Railway Administration
• Taoyuan: underground, located in Jhongli, near Chiang Kai-shek International Airport
• Hsinchu: elevated, located in Lioujia, Jhubei, near Hsinchu Science Park
• Miaoli (planned): elevated
• Taichung: elevated, located in Wurih
• Changhua (planned): elevated
• Yunlin (planned): elevated
• Chiayi: elevated, located in Taibao
• Tainan: elevated, located in Gueiren
• Zuoying: ground level, located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, joint station with Taiwan Railway Administration new Zuoying Station, line terminal until extension to downtown Kaohsiung Station.
• Kaohsiung (planned): underground, downtown Kaohsiung City, joint station with Taiwan Railway Administration new Kaohsiung Station.

Related topics

• Rail transport in Taiwan
• Taiwan Railway Administration

External links

• Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation

• Rollout of Taiwan High Speed Rail trains from Kawasaki plant