High-Speed Rail Extension Route to Pingtung Not Yet Decided

(Central News Agency Reporter Wang Yangyu, Taipei, 24th) The high-speed rail extension route to Pingtung has not yet been decided. When Democratic Progressive Party’s Kaohsiung City Legislator Li Boyi was asked, he was worried that if the “Kaohsiung Plan” was adopted, Kaohsiung may fall into traffic darkness again.

Executive Dean Zhu Rongtai said that for the sake of high-speed rail transportation, for the development of Kaohsiung city and future presidents, if it is possible to reach a local consensus, he is willing to make a decision and implement it as soon as possible.

Zhuo Rongtai today led the heads of the Executive Yuan’s ministries and commissions to the Legislative Yuan to deliver policy addresses and prepare for questions.

When Li Boi asked the question, he was concerned about the high-speed rail extension route to Pingtung, it should adopt the “Juying Plan”, that is, enter directly from Pingtung instead of passing through Kaohsiung Railway Station. “Kaohsiung Plan”, that is, after the high-speed rail Juying Station to Kaohsiung Railway Station, enter Pingtung.

Li Boyi also said that while the high-speed rail was reviewing several stations in the west, Kaohsiung Mayor Wu Duni skipped Taiwan Railway’s Kaohsiung station and only went to Juoying. Vetoed the rail south and entered Kaohsiung station.

Li Boyi said the Kuomintang mayor and the Kuomintang transport minister missed two opportunities to allow high-speed rail access to Kaohsiung station if the high-speed rail extends to Pingtung and Kaohsiung accepts the plan. Whether the project takes an open pit or a hidden slope, who will impact the city of Kaohsiung?

Li Boi noted that he will not affect the development of other cities, but he hopes that the impact on Kaohsiung citizens will be minimized and that the government is now repairing the network for wrong policies at the time.

Transport Minister Chen Shikai noted that the project, in order to avoid the cause of dark periods, will use a large amount of hidden slopes, minimize open excavation and adopt a “half-and-half construction” method. That is half construction and half traffic.

Zhuo Rongtai said that when he was in Kaohsiung, someone said that if the project had been implemented more than 10 years ago, it would have been almost finished and the budget would not have been so large if for high-speed rail transportation, development of Kaohsiung city, and future hospitals. If possible, if there is a consensus somewhere, “I am willing to take a decision” and implement it as soon as possible.