Taiwan High Speed Rail (also known as THSR, HSR, or Gāotíe) is a high-speed rail line approximately 345KM in length running along the west coast of Taiwan from Taipei Main Station in the north to Kaohsiung in the south.
The line opened for service in 2007, using trains with a top speed of 300KM/H covering the journey in as short as 96 minutes.
The HSR is most commonly referred to as Gaotie (prounounced Gāotiě), and is generally the preferred method of transit for travellers to cross the island due to its simplicity and speed.
Many visitors ask how much does the Taiwan High Speed Rail HSR cost? The price of a standard full fare HSR ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung (Zuoying) is NT$1490. Discounts are available for senior citizens, children, through promotions such as early bird sales when purchased in advance, or various credit card promotions. The table below shows the fare structure for tickets between all stations. Reserved Seat tickets have a seat number while Non-Reserved Seat tickets are discounted, and passengers are free to find a seat or stand in cars 10 through 12.
HSR Fare Table - Standard Car: Reserved Seat Non-Reserved Seat
| Station | Nangang | Taipei | Banqiao | Taoyuan | Hsinchu | Miaoli | Taichung | Changhua | Yunlin | Chiayi | Tainan | Zuoying Kaohsiung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nangang | － | 35 | 65 | 190 | 320 | 465 | 725 | 840 | 940 | 1,085 | 1,345 | 1,480 |
| Taipei | 40 | － | 35 | 155 | 280 | 415 | 675 | 795 | 900 | 1,045 | 1,305 | 1,445 |
| Banqiao | 70 | 40 | － | 125 | 250 | 385 | 645 | 765 | 870 | 1,015 | 1,280 | 1,415 |
| Taoyuan | 200 | 160 | 130 | － | 125 | 270 | 520 | 645 | 755 | 890 | 1,150 | 1,290 |
| Hsinchu | 330 | 290 | 260 | 130 | － | 135 | 395 | 520 | 620 | 765 | 1,025 | 1,160 |
| Miaoli | 480 | 430 | 400 | 280 | 140 | － | 260 | 375 | 485 | 620 | 890 | 1,025 |
| Taichung | 750 | 700 | 670 | 540 | 410 | 270 | － | 125 | 220 | 365 | 630 | 765 |
| Changhua | 870 | 820 | 790 | 670 | 540 | 390 | 130 | － | 105 | 240 | 510 | 645 |
| Yunlin | 970 | 930 | 900 | 780 | 640 | 500 | 230 | 110 | － | 145 | 405 | 540 |
| Chiayi | 1,120 | 1,080 | 1,050 | 920 | 790 | 640 | 380 | 250 | 150 | － | 270 | 395 |
| Tainan | 1,390 | 1,350 | 1,320 | 1,190 | 1,060 | 920 | 650 | 530 | 420 | 280 | － | 135 |
| Zuoying Kaohsiung | 1,530 | 1,490 | 1,460 | 1,330 | 1,200 | 1,060 | 790 | 670 | 560 | 410 | 140 | － |
Fares are subject to change and accurate as of 1 July, 2016
From North to South, the HSR stops at the following locations:
| Station | Connecting Services | |
|---|---|---|
| Nangang | 南港 | TRA Western Line - Nangang Taipei MRT Blue Line 5 - Nangang |
| Taipei | 台北 | TRA Western Line - Taipei (Main Station) Taipei MRT Red Line 2 and Blue Line 5 - Taipei Main Station |
| Banqiao | 板橋 | TRA Western Line - Banqiao Taipei MRT Blue Line 5 - Banqiao Station |
| Taoyuan | 桃園 | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Shuttle Bus - NT$30 Taoyuan Airport MRT (桃園捷運機場線) Local Busses to Taoyuan and Chungli (Jhongli/Zhongli) |
| Hsinchu | 新竹 | TRA Liujia Line - Liujia THSR Free Shuttle Bus |
| Miaoli | 苗栗 | TRA Western Line - Fengfu (豐富) THSR Shuttle Bus |
| Taichung | 台中 | TRA Taichung Line - Xinwuri THSR Free Shuttle Bus Busses to Nantou - Puli, Sun Moon Lake, and Qingjing Farm (清境農場, Cingjing) |
| Changhua | 彰化 | THSR Shuttle Bus |
| Yunlin | 雲林 | Local Bus |
| Chiayi | 嘉義 | Chiayi Bus Rapid Transit |
| Tainan | 台南 | TRA Shalun Line - Shalun THSR Free Shuttle Bus |
| Zuoying (Kaohsiung) |
左營 | TRA Western Line — Xinzuoying Kaohsiung MRT Red Line - Zuoying/THSR |
A common question is where can I buy HSR tickets. High Speed Rail tickets are sold directly at the station, at convenience stores 7-ELEVEN, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK Mart, up to 28 days in advance.
For advance ticketing and to see the schedule, please visit the HSR's website.
Information accurate as of 1 July, 2018.