Taitung line

The Taitung Line (Chinese: 臺東線; pinyin: Táidōng Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-tang Soàⁿ), also known as the Hua-Tung line (Chinese: 花東線; pinyin: Huādōng Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hoa-tang Soàⁿ), is the southern section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railways Administration.[1] The line starts at the Hualien station and ends at the Taitung station.[2] It is 161.5 km long, including the main segment of 155.7 km between Hualien and Taitung.[3]

Taitung Line
Overview
Native name臺東線
OwnerTaiwan Railways Administration
TerminiHualien
Taitung
Stations27
Service
TypePassenger/freight rail
Operator(s)Taiwan Railways Administration
History
Opened25 March 1926
Technical
Line length150.9 km (93.8 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification25 kV/60 Hz Catenary
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map

km
North-link, Hualien Port
0.0
Hualien
3.4
Ji'an
8.2
Gancheng Station
Mugua River
12.4
Zhixue
15.3
Pinghe
Prov. Hwy 9
Tun River
17.2
Shoufeng
19.9
Fengtian
Prov. Hwy 11c
Shoufeng River
26.1
Linrong Shin Kong
28.3
Nanping
32.5
Fenglin
Wanli River
37.3
Wanrong
Prov. Hwy 9
42.9
Guangfu & Hwy 11a
Jianong Creek
50.6
Dafu
53.6
Fuyuan
Fuyuan River
62.8
Ruisui
Maizuru Bridge
over Hongye River
Prov. Hwy 9
72.1
Sanmin
Fengping River
Zhuo River
83.1
Yuli
Prov. Hwy 30
Lakulaku River
Xiuguluan River
89.8
Dongli
95.7
Dongzhu
Old Zhuoshui River
Gongpu Bridge
101.9
Fuli
Turtle Creek
Hong Kong Pu Bridge
HualienTaitung border
108.8
Chishang
Prov. Hwy 20a
Beinan River
114.4
Haiduan
Degao Bridge
120.9
Guanshan
125.2
Yuemei
128.3
Ruihe
131.1
Ruiyuan
136.6
Luye
Luye River
142.8
Shanli
150.9
Taitung

The coastal branch lines of Hualien and Taitung were discarded after the broadening plan in 1982. The broadcasts of the station names on Taitung line are made in five languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, English, and Amis. Broadcasts in Amis language only exists in Taitung line.

Outline map near Hualien, Stations:
A: Hualien (former), B: Hualien Port,
C: Hualien, D: Beipu, E: Ji'an, F: Meilun
Lines:
Yellow: North-Link Line
Blue:Hualien–Taitung Line
Green: Hualien Port Line
Red: Hualien Port Line (former)

History

The north segment from Karenkō (花蓮港, now Hualien City) to Poshiko (璞石閣 ポシコ, then Tamazato, now Yuli) was built in 1909 and completed in 1917. The south segment form Hinan (卑南, then Taitō, now Taitung City) to Rirō (里巄, now Guanshan) was opened in 1919 by the Taitō Development Company (臺東開拓株式會社).

In 1922, the Taitō Development Company bought the railroad from Karenkō to Tamazato and called it the "Taitō North Line", while the south segment of Taitō to Rirō was called the "Taitō South Line."

The connecting railway between Tamazato to Rirō was begun in 1921 and completed in 1926, after which the total length was 171.8 km from Karenkō (Hualien City) to Taitō (Taitung City).

In 1966, the Kuang-Hua Express (光華號), utilizing diesel multiple units, started service in this line and greatly shortened the traveling time from Hualien to Taitung from 6–7 hours to 3–4 hours.

Its gauge was changed from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge in 1982 and connected with North-link line, after which the old Hualien Station was discarded and replaced by the Hualien railway station that is used now.

In 2007, the Environmental Protection Administration gave the line a conditional pass for an electrification project, which will boost the operating speed from 110 km/hr to 130 km/hr.[4] In 2009, construction began on electrification work, with NT$15.5 billion set aside for the project.[5] Electrification work was completed in late 2013 with the inauguration of electric services in late June 2014.

The section between Nanping and Wanrong railway stations will be upgraded from a single-track railway to a dual-track railway and is expected to be completed by December 2020. With the existing double-track sections from Shoufeng to Nanping railway station and from Wanrong to Guangfu railway stations, more train services will shorten waiting times and increase transportation efficiency.

On October 12 2020, the Ministry of Transport has approved and intends to carry out upgrading works on the Taitung Line to ensure that the entire line is double-tracked. As 69% of the entire line is still currently single-tracked, the project will shorten waiting times by at most up to 90 minutes and up to 16 more train services can be operated each day and commuting time can be reduced up to 50 minutes. With an increase of 17,000 passengers per day, the dual-track railway project is expected to cost NT$25.429 billion, which will be completed 7 years after the environmental impact assessment and comprehensive planning are approved.

The Railway Bureau has stated that the project will be carried out in 2 separate phases. Phase 1 will include the sections north of Yuli (Hualien - Shoufeng, Guangfu - Ruisui and Sanmin - Yuli) and the section between Taitung and Zhiben and is expected to be completed by 2026. Phase 2 will include the remaining sections of the line and is expected to be completed by 2027.

Electrification of the Hualien-Taitung Line

Together with the electrification of the Hualien-Taitung Line, the following stations were upgraded.

  • General Reconstruction
    • Completed - Zhixue, Pinghe, Fengtian, Nanping, Fenglin, Wanrong, Guangfu, Dafu, Fuyuan, Ruisui, Sanmin, Yuli, Dongli, Dongzhu, Fuli, Chishang, Haiduan, Guanshan, Ruihe, Ruiyuan, Luye, Shanli, Taitung
  • Elevated Station
    • Under Construction - Hualien
    • Under Planning - Ji’an
    • Completed - Shoufeng
  • Underground Station
    • Completed - Linrong Shin Kong

Stations

NameChineseTaiwaneseHakkaAmisDist.
(km)
Transfers and NotesLocation
Hualien花蓮Hoa-liânFâ-liènKalingko0.0 North-link line HualienHualien
County
Ji'an吉安Kiat-anKit-ônYosino3.4 Ji'an
Zhixue志學Chì-ha̍kChṳ-ho̍kCihak12.4 Shoufeng
Pinghe平和Pêng-hôPhìn-fò15.3
Shoufeng壽豐Siū-hongSu-fûngRinahem17.2
Fengtian豐田Hong-tiânFûng-thiènTelu'19.9
Linrong Shin Kong林榮新光Lîm-êng Sin-kongLìm-yùng Sîn-kông26.1 Fenglin
Nanping南平Lâm-pêngNàm-phìnNaiko28.3
Fenglin鳳林Hōng-lîmFung-lìmCingaroan32.5
Wanrong萬榮Bān-êngVan-yùngMolisaka37.3
Guangfu光復Kong-ho̍kKông-fu̍kFata'an42.9 Guangfu
Dafu大富Tāi-hôThai-fuYamato50.6
Fuyuan富源Hù-goânFu-ngiènPa'ilasen53.6 Ruisui
Ruisui瑞穗Sūi-sūiLui-suiKohkoh62.8
Sanmin三民Sam-bînSâm-mìnTakay72.1 Yuli
Yuli玉里Gio̍k-líNgiu̍k-lîPosko83.1
Dongli東里Tang-líTûng-lîMasai89.8 Fuli
Dongzhu東竹Tang-tekTûng-chukTalampo95.7
Fuli富里Hù-líFu-lîNaukun101.9
Chishang池上Tî-siōngChhṳ̀-sôngRenaw108.8 ChishangTaitung
County
Haiduan海端Hái-toanGói-tônHaitutuan114.4 Guanshan
Guanshan關山Koan-sanKoân-sânDilradilrang120.9
Ruihe瑞和Suī-hôLui-fòMicuwa128.3 Luye
Ruiyuan瑞源Suī-goânLui-ngiènOhala131.1
Luye鹿野Lo̍k-iáLu̍k-yâSikano136.6
Shanli山里San-líSân-lîKanatolan142.8 Beinan
Taitung臺東Tâi-tangThòi-tûngFalangaw150.9 South-link line Taitung

References

  1. "Touring Taiwan by Rail". Tourism Bureau, MOTC. 2005-01-13. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  2. "Across an Unspoilt Land--Riding the Hualien-Taitung Line". Taiwan Panorama. December 1996. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  3. Taiwan Railways Administration
  4. Shelley Shan (2007-10-02). "Hualien-Taitung electrification gets conditional pass". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  5. Shelley Shan (2009-11-14). "Hualien-Taitung railway to be electrified by 2013". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
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