A plan to extend Taiwan’s high speed rail line southward to the city of Pingtung is getting a cold reception from Pingtung residents. Many say they fear the project will turn into a waste of funds that could be put to better uses.
On paper, the plan to extend Taiwan’s high speed rail southward to the city of Pingtung looks like a real time saver for local people. Though the city is on the conventional rail network, plugging it into the high speed line will give residents much faster access to major urban centers across the island.
But on the ground, people seem skeptical.
Some say the planned location of the Pingtung high speed rail station is far from the city center and inconvenient to get to. They say any time this direct link might save them would be lost in the hassle of getting to and from this station. They also say the line’s existing southern terminus in the neighboring city of Kaohsiung is much easier to reach and serves their needs just fine.
There are also worries about the cost of the project. The extension plan approved by the transportation ministry comes with a price tag of more than NT$50 billion (US$1.6 billion). Some feel this will be money wasted. The past decade has seen two airports close in Pingtung County due to lack of traffic, and locals are worried that they could soon be burdened with another transport-related white elephant.