
The
Ministry of Transportation and Communications governs transportation in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
.
Land transport
Roads
* Total length: 41,475 km (2009)
** National highway: 901 km
** Provincial highway: 4,680 km
* Highways: 20,947 km (including 872 km of
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s)
* Urban roads: 16,395, km
Rail

Total: 1,580 km (2009) (all on the
island of Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The island of Taiwan, formerly known to Westerners as Formosa, has an area of and makes up 99% of the land under ROC control. It lies about across the Taiwan Strait f ...
)
*
Taiwan Railway
Taiwan Railway (TR) is a state-owned conventional railway in Taiwan. It is operated by the Taiwan Railway Corporation under the supervision of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China), Ministry of Transportation and ...
: 1,097 km of gauge
*
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
: 354 km of gauge
*
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
Kaohsiung Metro () is a rapid transit and light rail system covering the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Its rapid transit network is known as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System or Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT). Construction of the MRT ...
: 51.8 km of gauge
*
Taipei Metro
Taipei Metro (also known as Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and branded as Metro Taipei) is a rapid transit system operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation serving the capital Taipei and New Taipei City in Taiwan.
It was the first rapi ...
: 131.1 km of gauge
*
New Taipei Metro
New Taipei Metro () is a transit system serving New Taipei City, New Taipei, Taiwan, operated by . The Danhai light rail, Ankeng light rail, and Circular line (New Taipei Metro), Circular line are currently in operation, while the Sanying line i ...
*
Taoyuan Metro
The Taoyuan Metro (formerly Taoyuan Rail Transit and officially Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit System) is a rapid transit system serving Taoyuan City, as well as parts of New Taipei City and Taipei, Taipei City, in Taiwan. The most recently proposed ...
: 51.03 km of gauge
*
Taichung Metro
The Taichung MRT (TMRT; also called Taichung Mass Rapid Transit or Taichung Metro) is a Medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taichung, Taiwan. Taichung MRT's first route, the Green Line (Taichung Metro), Green Li ...
*
Taiwan Sugar Corporation
Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC; ; pinyin: ''Táiwān Tángyè Gōngsī'') or Taisugar (; pinyin: ''Táitáng'') is a state-run enterprise of Taiwan, with headquarters in Tainan City.
History
The corporation was established on 1 May 1946 by the N ...
: 240 km of gauge
*
Forestry Bureau
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency () is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan (ROC).
History
The Forestry Bureau was originally established in 1945 as the Office of Forestry Administration. In June 1947, the office was d ...
: 86 km of gauge
High-speed rail
The
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
(THSR) commenced operations on 5 January 2007, after some delays in 2006. The THSR connects
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
in the northeast of the island of Taiwan to
Kaohsiung City
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of ...
in the southwest. The journey time is about 90 minutes compared to ~3 hours by conventional rail. 30 Shinkansen Class 700T sets are running on the 345 km high-speed line, with station stops at Taipei Main Station, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying District In Kaohsiung. Four additional stations have been opened: Nangang in eastern Taipei, Miaoli, Changhua and Yunlin. In 2008 THSR increased the number of trains to 88 per day, each way.
The Shinkansen 700T is similar to the Japanese 700 Nozomi. It operates in 12 car sets (9 powered, 3 trailers) at a speed limit of 300 km/h over standard gauge track. OCS power is
25 kV AC
Railway electrification systems using alternating current (AC) at are used worldwide, especially for high-speed rail. It is usually supplied at the standard utility frequency (typically 50 or 60Hz), which simplifies traction substations. The dev ...
60 Hz.
Conventional rail
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is the national conventional passenger railway operator in Taiwan, established on 5 March 1948. Railway services began in 1891 between
Keelung
Keelung ( ; zh, p=Jīlóng, c=基隆, poj=Ke-lâng), Chilung or Jilong ( ; ), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan. The city is part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area with neighboring New Ta ...
and
Hsinchu
Hsinchu (, ), officially Hsinchu City, is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan that is not a special municipality, with estimated 450,655 inhabitants. Hsinchu is a coastal city bordering the Taiwan ...
under mainland China's
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
, with a complete reform intended under the
Japanese Colonial Government. This Japanese influence remains in TRA's various operations today, where
JR (Japan Railways) tack layout,
fare gates, and
signage
Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message. Signage also means signs ''collectively'' or being considered as a group. The term ''signage'' is documented to have been popularized in 1975 to 1980.
Signs are any ki ...
can still be observed. With increased competition from the
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
for long-distance services on the west coast, TRA has begun placing emphases on commuter and tourist services.
Urban transit
There are five urban transit systems in Taiwan:
Taipei Metro
Taipei Metro (also known as Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and branded as Metro Taipei) is a rapid transit system operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation serving the capital Taipei and New Taipei City in Taiwan.
It was the first rapi ...
,
New Taipei Metro
New Taipei Metro () is a transit system serving New Taipei City, New Taipei, Taiwan, operated by . The Danhai light rail, Ankeng light rail, and Circular line (New Taipei Metro), Circular line are currently in operation, while the Sanying line i ...
,
Taichung Metro
The Taichung MRT (TMRT; also called Taichung Mass Rapid Transit or Taichung Metro) is a Medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taichung, Taiwan. Taichung MRT's first route, the Green Line (Taichung Metro), Green Li ...
,
Taoyuan Metro
The Taoyuan Metro (formerly Taoyuan Rail Transit and officially Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit System) is a rapid transit system serving Taoyuan City, as well as parts of New Taipei City and Taipei, Taipei City, in Taiwan. The most recently proposed ...
, and
Kaohsiung Metro
Kaohsiung Metro () is a rapid transit and light rail system covering the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Its rapid transit network is known as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System or Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT). Construction of the MRT ...
.
Taipei Metro opened in 1996 and runs on an extensive network of both
Multiple Unit
A multiple-unit train (or multiple unit (MU)) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more Coach (rail), carriages joined, and where one or more of the carriages have the means of propulsion built in. By contrast, a locomotive-hauled ...
for the high-capacity system as well as
VAL for the medium-capacity system throughout the metropolitan area of Taipei. The metro system operates 6 lines consisting of 131 stations.
Kaohsiung Metro
Kaohsiung Metro () is a rapid transit and light rail system covering the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Its rapid transit network is known as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System or Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT). Construction of the MRT ...
is a metro system that currently has two lines, the
Red line, and the
Orange line consisting of 37 Stations. Both of these lines opened In 2008. Along with these lines, the
Yellow line is under construction, and will cover nearly 42% of the city's population, having an expected daily ridership of 180,000 and is to be completed by 2028. The metro currently runs in 3 car sets manufactured by
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
.
The
Taoyuan Metro
The Taoyuan Metro (formerly Taoyuan Rail Transit and officially Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit System) is a rapid transit system serving Taoyuan City, as well as parts of New Taipei City and Taipei, Taipei City, in Taiwan. The most recently proposed ...
is a metro system with one operational line, one in construction, and one in planning. (
Airport MRT
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), commonly known as the Airport MRT, is a rapid transit line of the Taoyuan Metro that connects Taipei, Taoyuan and New Taipei with Taoyuan International Airport in northern Taiwan. ...
, green, brown). The Airport MRT serves
Taoyuan,
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
and
New Taipei
New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in regions of Taiwan, northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 4,004,367 as of January 2023, making it the most populous city in Taiwan, a ...
after it opened in March 2017.
Taichung Metro
The Taichung MRT (TMRT; also called Taichung Mass Rapid Transit or Taichung Metro) is a Medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taichung, Taiwan. Taichung MRT's first route, the Green Line (Taichung Metro), Green Li ...
officially began operation on April 25, 2021, with its
Green Line opening. In addition to
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...
, the network will also serve the
Changhua
Changhua (Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Chiong-hòa'' or ''Chiang-hòa''), officially known as Changhua City, is a county-administered city and the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. For many centuries the site was home to a settlement of ...
and
Nantou counties. The metro will start off with 3 main lines (green, blue, and orange), with four other lines planned.
Buses
Various conventional urban and intercity bus operators conduct services in Taipei and other major cities. Some of the most notable players include Taipei Bus (台北客運) and Capitol Bus (首都客運).
Taichung and Chiayi BRT
Taichung's
BRT
BRT may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Bayrak Radio Television, a Turkish Cypriot broadcaster
* Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep (now ''VRT''), a Flemish broadcaster
* Business Research and Training Center (BR&T), Ho Chi Minh Cit ...
(Bus Rapid Transit) was the first BRT system in Taiwan, spanning 17.1 kilometres (10.6 mi) from
Taichung TRA Station
Taichung station () is a railway station in Taichung, Taichung, Taiwan served by Taiwan Railway (TR). It is served by all TR services on the Western Trunk line.
History
The station was originally constructed in 1905 in a wooden building archit ...
to
Providence University
Providence University (PU; ) is a Catholic co-educational institution in Shalu District, Taichung City, Taiwan. Providence University is one of the U12 Consortium member schools, and is one of two Taiwan universities participating in the ISEP ...
via the Taiwan Boulevard, containing 21 dedicated right-of-way stations. This line was shut down and converted to a dedicated bus lane on July 8, 2015.
Chiayi's Bus Rapid Transit system remains in service, connecting
Chiayi High Speed Rail station to downtown
Chiayi City
Chiayi (,), officially known as Chiayi City, is a Provincial city (Taiwan), city located in Chianan Plain in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023.
The H ...
via
Chiayi County
Chiayi is a County (Taiwan), county in Taiwan. Located in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City, it is the sixth largest county in the island of Taiwan. Its major tourist destination is Alishan Natio ...
. It uses dedicated bus lanes and GPS-controlled traffic signals to speed up commutes between terminals.
Air transport
Airports
During the global COVID-19 pandemic traffic at Taiwan’s large international airports fell sharply while traffic to smaller domestic airports increased as a result of a surge in domestic tourism.
Total: 40
''Length of runways:''
* Over 3,047 m:'' 6 '' (
Taipei Taoyuan,
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...
,
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
,
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
,
Chiayi
Chiayi (,), officially known as Chiayi City, is a Provincial city (Taiwan), city located in Chianan Plain in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023.
The H ...
,
Pingtung)
* 2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 5 '' (
Kinmen
Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from wh ...
,
Magong
Magong (Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Má-keng'') is a county-administered city and county seat, seat of Penghu County, Taiwan. Magong City is located on Penghu's main island.
Name
The settlement's Mazu temples, temple honoring the Chinese folk r ...
,
Hualien,
Taipei Songshan,
Taitung)
* 1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 2 '' (
Hengchun
Hengchun is a Township (Taiwan), township located on the southern tip of the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the southernmost township in Taiwan. Hengchun is also the only urban township in the southern part of Pingtung Coun ...
,
Nangan)
* 914 to 1,523 m:'' 4 ''(
Beigan,
Lanyu
Orchid Island, known as Pongso no Tao by the indigenous inhabitants, is a volcanic island located off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, the island and the nearby are governed by Taiwan as in Taitung County, which is one of the county's two ...
,
Lyudao,
Wang-an)
* Under 914 m:'' 1 ''(
Qimei)
Airlines
Total: 7
#
China Airlines
China Airlines (CAL; zh, t=中華航空, poj=Tiong-hôa Hâng-khong, p=Zhōnghuá Hángkōng, first=t, c=, s=) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan). It is one of Taiwan's two major airlines, along with E ...
#
Daily Air
Daily Air Corporation () is a Taiwanese regional airline with its headquarters in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It operates scheduled passenger services, primarily to domestic destinations such as offshore islands from Taiwan, including Pe ...
#
EVA Air
EVA Airways Corporation ( ; ) () is an international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately owned airline operates passenger and dedicated c ...
#
Mandarin Airlines
Mandarin Airlines () is a Taiwanese regional airline based in Taipei, Taiwan whose parent company is China Airlines. The airline operates domestic and regional international flights, while its parent company focuses on international operations. ...
#
Tigerair Taiwan
#
Uni Air
#
Starlux Airlines
Starlux Airlines ( zh, t=星宇航空, p=Xīngyǔ Hángkōng, w=, styled STARLUX) is a Taiwanese full service carrier headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, which operated its first flight from Taipei to Macau on 23 January 2020. Currently, it uses T ...
Heliports
Total: 31 (2013)
Sea transport
Ports
Port of Kaohsiung
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by ...
Is the largest port in Taiwan, and the thirteenth largest in the world. It is located near the Western districts In
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
, including Gushan, Yancheng, Lingya, Cianjhen, Siaogang, and Cijin. The port Is easily accessible by
Sizihwan metro station
Hamasen () is a metro station and light rail station of Kaohsiung Rapid Transit, served by the Orange line and the Circular light rail. It is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The station name is derived from Hamasen, the histori ...
, and by various
Light Rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
stations.
Other Major ports:
Keelung
Keelung ( ; zh, p=Jīlóng, c=基隆, poj=Ke-lâng), Chilung or Jilong ( ; ), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan. The city is part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area with neighboring New Ta ...
,
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...
,
Hualien
General ports:
Anping, Su'ao,
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
Interior ports:
Budai
Budai is a nickname given to the historical Chinese monk Qieci () in the Later Liang Dynasty, who is often identified with and venerated as the future or Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism and Buddhist scripture. With the spread of Chan Buddh ...
,
Magong
Magong (Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Má-keng'') is a county-administered city and county seat, seat of Penghu County, Taiwan. Magong City is located on Penghu's main island.
Name
The settlement's Mazu temples, temple honoring the Chinese folk r ...
Merchant marine:
112 ships (1,000 GT or over) totaling 3,827,173 GT/ (2010)
''ships by type:''
* Bulk 35
* Cargo 20
* Chemical tanker 1
* Container 31
* Petroleum tanker 12
* Passenger/cargo 4
* Refrigerated cargo 7
* Roll on/roll off 2
Pipelines
As of 2013, Taiwan maintains the following pipelines
*Condensate 25 km
*Gas 802 km
*Oil 241 km
See also
*
Plug-in electric vehicles in Taiwan
*
Maritime industries of Taiwan
The maritime industries of Taiwan are a large part of Taiwan's economy. Industries of particular importance are shipbuilding, boat building, maritime transport, aquaculture, mariculture, commercial fishing, seafood processing, offshore wind power ...
References
{{Transportation in Taiwan