The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation will bid for the construction of the 17.5km south section of the 349km high-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung in April 2021. After the contract is awarded, construction of an expansion project worth NT$55.4 billion (US$1.98 billion) will begin, and the production line is currently scheduled to open in 2029.

The expansion project will start at the current terminal of Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung City, pass through Niaosong and Big Trees, and then to Liukuaizhuo Station in Pingtung County. The extension section will also be interconnected with the Pingtung Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration.

After completion, this line will provide direct service between Taipei and Pingtung, reducing travel time by about 20 minutes to 1 hour and 44 minutes.

This line is part of an effort to increase the economic potential of southern Taiwan. Under the project, Taiwan High Speed Rail will also establish a 273-hectare science park near the new Pingtung Expressway terminal to develop technologies related to health, agriculture and software engineering.

The proposal for the expansion was submitted to Tseng-Chang in September 2019. The selected route is selected from four options.

The announcement was made after the 56.4-kilometer north extension route of the high-speed railway between Taipei High Speed Nangang Station and the northeastern coastal city of Yilan was finalized in October 2020. The line will include 11.4 kilometers of tunnels and is expected to be open until 2030.Editor/Huang Lijun