TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's bullet train operator will increase service to a rural county struggling with transportation access, officials announced Sunday (April 13). Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSR, 台灣高鐵) plans to add 17 weekly trains serving Yunlin County from Monday through June, responding to concerns raised during recent talks with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch (台大醫院雲林分院) Superintendent Ma Huei-ming (馬惠明).
Legislator Liu highlighted Yunlin's unique transportation challenges, noting the county's significant diaspora population that regularly returns home for holidays, creating persistent ticket shortages. The county's healthcare infrastructure has also expanded, with the hospital's March elevation to quasi-medical center status generating increased travel for patients and visiting relatives. Liu pointed to the upcoming National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research (國家高齡醫學暨健康福祉研究中心) as another factor that will draw academics and healthcare professionals to the previously underserved region.
THSR deputy general manager Chen Hsin-hsiung (陳信雄) detailed the service enhancement, revealing that three express trains will now stop at Yunlin station — two southbound and one northbound. The transportation authority plans to further expand service beginning July 1, with approximately 10 additional weekly trains prioritizing southern stations including Yunlin. Officials expect these improvements to significantly reduce travel barriers for local residents, hospital patients, and the increasing number of professional visitors to the region. ★