Tainan underground railway project moves closer to early opening

台南鐵路地下化工程距離提前通車再邁進一步

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) inspected Tainan's underground railway project Friday and called for final work to be completed quickly so the first section can open early.

CNA reported that the Railway Bureau said the project has entered its final stage after more than six years of construction. Chen visited the underground Tainan Station and received briefings on construction progress and preparations for opening.

The station has passed accessibility and fire safety inspections and obtained a special building permit. A final inspection before opening is scheduled for September.

The bureau said workers will complete remaining tests, inspections, and operating preparations before passenger service begins. These steps are intended to ensure the station meets all requirements for opening, per UDN.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) also recently inspected passenger facilities at the underground station. He visited the sunken plaza, station hall, platforms, ticket gates, and ticket counters.

Huang said Tainan Station is expected to be unveiled in early September. He said the project is now in the final stage before opening, per SETN News.

The 8.23-kilometer underground railway project begins south of Daqiao Station in Yongkang District and runs through Tainan Station to about 0.6 kilometers south of the Dalin Road railway crossing. It passes through Tainan's North, East, and Rende districts.

The project will also add Linsen Station and South Tainan Station as commuter stops. The new stations and underground tracks are intended to improve road connections between areas now divided by the railway, per Liberty Times.

The project is divided into four construction contracts, with the underground Tainan Station as a major part of the work. Linsen Station is scheduled to open in September 2029, while South Tainan Station is expected to open in September 2030.