Taiwan Advances Tainan Rail Modernisation as New Underground Station Opens This October

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Taiwan is making progress, on modernizing Tainan’s rail system. A new underground station is set to open in October. This upgrade will take trains below ground level, which should make it easier for passengers to get around. It will also help reconnect parts of the city that have been separated by the surface tracks.

Tainan is preparing for a major change to its railway network, with a new underground station set to begin operations on 17 October. The opening will mark an important stage in a long-running transport project that is moving railway infrastructure below ground and reshaping how people travel through the city.

The new facility stands beside the historic Tainan Station and forms part of the Tainan Urban District Railway Underground Project. The wider scheme aims to improve rail efficiency, reduce barriers created by surface tracks and create better links between neighbourhoods across the city.

New Station to Support Easier Urban Travel

The station will do more than provide a new platform for rail passengers. Its completion also clears the way for major redevelopment around the site.

Plans for the surrounding district include a public plaza, parking areas, a transport interchange and more green space. These upgrades are expected to make the station easier to reach while improving the wider passenger experience.

The project is also designed to strengthen links between rail services and other forms of local transport, helping passengers move more easily between the station and nearby parts of Tainan.

Colour-Coded Signs Aim to Simplify Journeys

Passengers will also notice a new wayfinding system inside the station.

Northbound services will be marked in blue, while southbound trains will be identified in green. The approach mirrors the colour-based navigation system already used on Taiwan’s high-speed rail network.

This will make the new Tainan facility the first station on the conventional railway network to use this type of directional system.

For domestic and international visitors, the clearer signage could make the station easier to navigate, particularly for passengers who are unfamiliar with local train routes.

Underground Rail Corridor Extends Across Central Tainan

The wider railway project covers approximately 8.23 kilometres through the urban area.

It begins near the southern end of Daciao Station and continues to a point roughly 600 metres south of Dalin Road.

Moving the railway below street level is expected to change the physical layout of central Tainan. Surface tracks have long divided roads, communities and commercial areas.

Once the old tracks are removed, land above the underground railway can be used for new public facilities, pedestrian connections, green areas and urban improvements.

Historic Station Will Remain Part of the City

The existing Tainan Station will not be demolished when the new facility opens.

Instead, the historic building is set to be preserved as a heritage site. This will allow Tainan to retain an important part of its transport history while modern railway operations move into the new underground station.

The combination of heritage preservation and new infrastructure is expected to create a station district where older architecture and modern transport facilities exist side by side.

After rail services are shifted underground, dismantling of the street-level railway will begin gradually.

Two More Underground Stations to Follow

The project also includes two additional commuter stations.

Linsen Station is expected to begin operations in 2029, with South Tainan Station set to join the underground network a year later in 2030.

Together, these stations will expand the underground rail corridor and improve local travel across the city.

The added connections could also benefit tourism by making it easier for visitors to reach central districts, accommodation areas, cultural sites and other parts of Tainan.

Road Crossings and Rail Barriers to Be Removed

One of the biggest long-term changes will be the removal of railway-related crossings and structures.

The completed project is expected to eliminate 23 crossings and grade-separated intersections.

These include nine level crossings, eight underpasses and four overpasses, as well as other infrastructure connected to the surface railway.

Removing these barriers is expected to improve road flow, reduce conflict between rail and vehicle traffic and reconnect areas that have been separated for years.

Full Transformation to Continue Until 2031

The underground railway project was approved in 2009 as part of a wider programme to modernise urban rail infrastructure in Taiwan.

Construction and redevelopment will continue in phases, with the entire programme expected to run through 2031.

The opening of the new Tainan Station on 17 October will therefore be a major milestone rather than the final stage.

When the wider project is complete, Tainan is expected to have a more modern rail system, fewer road barriers, new underground stations and expanded public spaces above the former tracks.

For passengers, the change will mean a more modern station and clearer navigation. For the city, it will represent a much broader shift in connectivity, urban design and everyday travel.