Altered HSR extension plan to require new environmental assessment

Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said Saturday the government had decided to alter plans to extend the high-speed rail (HSR) network to Pingtung County, a decision that will require a new environmental impact assessment.

Speaking at an event at Kaohsiung train station, Cho said, after taking into consideration factors such as the city's development, HSR operations and safety, the government has decided to adopt what has been called the "Kaohsiung proposal" instead of the previously approved "Zuoying proposal."

The premier instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to expedite subsequent planning, including the budget and schedule, while ensuring every step of the work adheres to high-quality standards.

According to the Railway Bureau, the revised Kaohsiung proposal includes 25.9 kilometers of rail tracks, starting from HSR Zuoying Station, passing through Kaohsiung train station and terminating at a planned HSR Pingtung Station in the county's Lioukuaicuo Township.

On the other hand, the construction of the extension under the "Zuoying proposal," first approved by the MOTC in September 2019, would have covered 16.8 km of rail tracks that do not pass through the train station.

The Railway Bureau said following Friday's announcement, the bureau will have to abandon existing planning in accordance with the revised plans, including a new environmental impact assessment.

The process is expected to take three to four years, according to the bureau.

The Kaohsiung proposal was one of four considered by the government in 2019 and the mostly costly, with estimated expenditure of NT$120 billion (US$3.65 billion).

That estimation is likely to go up considering the rising cost of living in recent years and the construction of a new facility added to the revised plans.

According to the bureau, after the government began "comprehensive planning" in the second half of 2021 under the "Zuoying proposal," there was opposition due to safety concerns over rail tracks passing near a petrochemical plant.

It was later discovered there would be technical issues that could pose safety risks to HRS operations, the bureau added.

However, the government did not consider an alternative until earlier this year, it said.