Native name 臺東線 Opened 25 March 1926 Number of tracks 2 Stations 27 | Type Passenger/freight rail Line length 150.9 km (93.8 mi) Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | |
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Owner Taiwan Railways Administration Operator Taiwan Railways Administration Terminis Taitung Station, Hualien Station | ||
The Hualien–Taitung Line (Chinese: 花東線; pinyin: Huādōng Xiàn; Wade–Giles: Hua1-tung1 hsien4), also known more simply as the Hua-Tung Line (花東線) or the Taitung Line (臺東線), is the southern section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railways Administration. The line starts in Hualien and ends in Taitung.
It is 161.5 km long, including the main segment of 155.7 km between Hualien and Taitung.
The coastal branch lines of Hualien and Taitung were discarded after the broadening plan in 1982.
History
The north segment from Hualien to Tamasato (now Yuli) was built in 1909 and completed in 1917. The south segment form Beinan (now Taitung) to Lilung (now Guanshan) was opened in 1919 by the Taitung Development Company (台東開拓會社).
In 1922, the Taitung Development Company bought the railroad from Hualien to Yuli and called it the "Taitung North Line", while the south segment of Beinan to Lilung was called the "Taitung South Line."
The connecting railway between Yuli to Lilung was begun in 1921 and completed in 1926, after which the total length was 171.8 km from Hualien to Taitung.
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 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. In 2009, construction began on electrification work, with NT$15.5 billion set aside for the project. Electrification work was completed in late 2013 with the inauguration of electric services in late June 2014.