Taiwan, October 2026 — Taiwan is investing in railway infrastructure that integrates transport improvements with urban redevelopment and heritage preservation. On October 17, trains began operating underground along the first stage of Tainan’s railway undergrounding project, marking a significant step towards reshaping the city’s transport network and surrounding urban environment.
Led by the Railway Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the 8.23-kilometre project is designed to eliminate 23 railway level crossings and associated structures. The changes are expected to improve pedestrian and cycling access between eastern and western Tainan while reducing road traffic bottlenecks. Approved by Taiwan’s Cabinet in September 2009, the project’s estimated cost has increased from NT$33 billion to NT$41.26 billion, with overall completion scheduled for March 2031.
Beyond railway operations, the project will release land currently occupied by surface tracks for potential urban redevelopment. Plans include converting the former railway corridor into a greenway approximately 30 metres wide, incorporating walking and cycling paths and landscaped public spaces. Two additional underground commuter stations, Linsen and South Tainan, are scheduled to open in 2029 and 2030, respectively.
A key feature is the integration of the new underground facility with Tainan’s historic railway station, originally opened in 1900 and rebuilt in 1936. The heritage building will remain alongside the new station, with proposals to introduce cultural exhibitions, cafés, reading areas and other public amenities. Construction also uncovered 20 archaeological sites containing remains from prehistoric times through the Qing dynasty and Japanese colonial period, requiring preservation measures that added approximately two years to the original schedule.
The project illustrates how railway modernisation can deliver benefits beyond transport capacity, including improved urban connectivity, public-space creation and heritage conservation. However, the full impact will depend on completing the removal of existing surface infrastructure, restoring roads and developing the released land into accessible public spaces. Tainan’s experience highlights the long-term planning and coordination required to integrate major railway works with wider city development.
Source: Focus Taiwan (CNA)
Tainan Opens 8.23-Kilometre Underground Railway to Reconnect the City
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Urban railway undergrounding projects can improve city connectivity by removing level crossings and freeing surface land for public use. Taiwan’s Tainan City is beginning underground railway operations along an 8.23-kilometre corridor, a major infrastructure milestone intended to ease traffic bottlenecks, reconnect neighbourhoods and preserve the city’s historic railway heritage.
