Native name 縱貫線 Opened 10 August 1902 Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Stations 91 | Type Heavy rail Number of tracks Varies Termini Kaohsiung Station Line length 404.5 km (251.3 mi) | |
Operator(s) Taiwan Railways Administration Owner Taiwan Railways Administration | ||
West Coast Line or Main Line (Chinese: 縱貫線) is a railway line of the Taiwan Railway Administration running along Taiwan's densely populated western corridor. As a result, it is by far the busiest line, having served over 171 million passengers in 2016. The total length of the line is 404.5 km.
The coastal section between Zhunan and Changhua is known as Coastal Line (海線) and is 90.2 km long. It was built after Taichung Line, which is also known as Mountain Line (山線). Many express services take the Taichung route. Train schedules and departure boards mark either "山線" or "海線" to indicate the route taken. Despite being inconsistently less advanced than other sections and Taichung Line, the Coastal Line is classified as part of the main line while Taichung Line is considered a separate line.
History
The original railroad between Keelung and Twatutia was completed in 1891. The section between Twatutia and Hsinchu was finished in 1893. However, these sections were all rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century during Japanese rule. The northern and southern sections and the Taichung Line were completed in 1908. The Coastal Line, finished in 1922, was used to relieve congestion near Taichung.