TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR, 台灣高鐵) unveiled plans on Friday (March 21) to temporarily boost its service capacity during the spring travel season, adding 17 weekly trains between April 14 and June 30. The expansion, designed to accommodate increasing passenger volumes, will predominantly enhance southbound service with 13 additional trains, while four new northbound trains will complete the supplementary schedule. Eager travelers can secure seats on these extra services starting at midnight on March 24, when ticket sales officially open across all THSR booking platforms.
According to the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (台灣高鐵公司), this temporary adjustment will elevate the total weekly train count from 1,103 to 1,120, representing a targeted response to seasonal travel patterns. Weekend travelers will particularly benefit from the enhanced schedule, with four additional southbound trains operating during midday hours on Saturdays when many begin their weekend getaways. Sunday travelers heading north — typically returning from weekend trips — will find relief with two additional northbound trains strategically added to ease congestion during this traditionally busy travel window.
Among the new offerings is train 1,534, a specialized Sunday service connecting Taichung to Nangang with a 1:04 p.m. departure from Taichung Station. This addition specifically targets weekend travelers making shorter northbound journeys, filling a previously identified service gap. Beyond weekend enhancements, the temporary schedule also addresses weekday congestion with strategic additions during both midday and evening rush periods, when business travelers and commuters create heightened demand across the high-speed corridor.
THSR officials highlighted that this temporary expansion follows a pattern of service growth, noting that permanent schedule enhancements implemented in January and July of last year had already increased weekly train frequency to 1,103. A similar short-term capacity boost was successfully executed during November and December to handle holiday travel demand. The upcoming spring increase will serve as a real-world test case, with passenger data and operational performance being closely monitored to guide decisions about potential permanent additions to the rail network's master schedule.
