On September 23, 2022, the Executive Yuan officially approved the “Comprehensive Planning of Siaogang Linyuan Line on Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System,” which the Kaohsiung City Government had been actively pursuing. The total budget for the plan was NT$53.311 billion. President Tsai Ing-Wen and Mayor Chen Chi-Mai have pledged to prioritizing this plan for major transportation infrastructure, which is part of the central government’s “Major Development in Greater South: Southern Taiwan Development Plan.” The “Siaogang Linyuan Line,” which runs through three national industrial parks (Linhai Industrial Park, Linyuan Industrial Park, and the New Materials and Circular Economy Industrial Park) is also the third MRT line approved since Mayor Chen Chi-Mai took office in August 2020.

According to Mayor Chen Chi-Mai, “The Kaohsiung City Government will fully promote transportation infrastructure. Gratitude is extended to the Executive Yuan Premier Su for his support toward the approval of the comprehensive planning report on the Siaogang Linyuan Line on the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System. Moving toward the goal of breaking ground at the end of this year, the Kaohsiung City Government has actively engaged in the design and construction outsourcing operations.”

According to the Executive Yuan’s letter of approval received by the Kaohsiung City Government, the project is positioned as a supply-oriented mass rapid transit infrastructure. The project planning, in conjunction with the national industrial park development, overall urban planning and public transportation demand, provides a safe, convenient, low-carbon and environmentally-friendly track transport in the Siaogang Linyuan area. In addition, combining the transit-oriented development (TOD) strategy, the mass rapid transit volume can be enhanced. The Kaohsiung City Government shall accelerate the project conduction at an accelerated pace.

Additionally, the Executive Yuan has also requested the city government to comply with the national housing policy. During transit-oriented development (TOD) and land development at the RL4, RL5 and RL6 stations, the social housing planning and considerations shall also be incorporated in order to facilitate accommodation and work of employees from the industrial park in the vicinity. Therefore, the Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government has planned the Mass Rapid Transit development area beside the RL4, RL5 and RL6 stations. Further, in coordination with the industrial and local development strategies, transit-oriented development (TOD) and social housing, and other land development strategies, effective measures for improving the traffic volume and finances shall continue to be formulated and implemented.

Hence, things are on track to enhance the financial feasibility of the project and actively control the achievement of self-liquidating funds. According to Vice City Mayor Lin Chin-Jung, “The Kaohsiung City Government has formed a cross-bureau and cross-office project teams, including: Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Urban Development Bureau, Land Administration Bureau, Economic Development Bureau, Transportation Bureau and, Water Resources Bureau.” Targeting the approval of the Siaogang Linyuan Line on the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System, a comprehensive review on the urban planning of the Linyuan area that has undergone preparation for a year will be carried out and publicly exhibited in the near future. Relevant bureaus and offices led by Vice City Mayor Lin Chin-Jung are scheduled to conduct a comprehensive review on the contents of the urban planning before mid-October. They will successively hold briefings on the public exhibitions of the urban planning, turning the 180-hctreare agricultural area surrounding RL4, RL5 and RL6 that will be turned into residential area, commercial area, mass rapid transit development area and land designated for public facilities. It is hope that before the completion of the mass rapid transit system, changes to land designed for urban development use, joint development construction, and the development of the zone expropriation would have been completed. An increase of 35,000 residents and 12,000 employed individuals will access the mass rapid transit system. After the zone expropriation, the land rights funds will be injected into the mass rapid transit infrastructure. Furthermore, the land designated for facilities will prioritize parks, retarding basins, roads, land designated for schools, land designated for social welfare facilities and other uses, thereby providing residents with a high-quality living environment.

The Siaogang Linyuan Line on the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System measures about 11.59km. The route starts from the reserved tunnel of the Red Line R3 Station on the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System and ends before the high-value industrial park. Seven stations (6 underground stations, 1 elevated station) have been set up, which connect the southern and northern industrial parks and the Kaohsiung International Airport and boost balanced development in the respective regions. By incorporating the southern semiconductor S corridor, such as the TSMC, the transformation and upgrade of the petrochemical industry can be promoted, thereby moving toward opportunities for high-value development. The use of transportation instead of automobiles and scooters is also encouraged to provide a way to get home safely and meet the residents’ years of expectations. According to Director-general Wu Yei-Long of Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, “The Mass Rapid Transit Bureau will immediately launch design review operations and subsequent project procurement preparations in order to fully promote the Siaogang Linyuan Line infrastructure and the peripheral development.” It is hoped that the groundbreaking will be carried out as scheduled, live up to expectations and be completed and open to traffic in 2030.