Tram systems in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a major port city on Taiwan’s southwestern coast. Its development has been closely associated with maritime trade and industry, but former harbour and railway land now also accommodates cultural attractions, public spaces and waterfront developments. The Love River, the historic harbour district of Hamasen and the Pier-2 Art Center are among the city’s best-known features.
The wider city encompasses busy commercial districts, residential neighbourhoods and major industrial areas. Attractions range from the waterfront and Cijin Island to museums, markets and parks, with public transport providing connections between many of these destinations.
Kaohsiung’s public transport combines metro, light rail, buses, conventional rail and ferries. The metro’s Red and Orange lines provide the principal rapid transit corridors through the urban area, while the circular light rail links districts around the centre and serves much of the redeveloped waterfront. Buses extend coverage to neighbourhoods and destinations beyond the rail network.
Taiwan Railway services provide local and longer-distance connections, while Taiwan High Speed Rail serves Zuoying, in the northern part of the city. Ferries connect the mainland with Cijin Island, and the YouBike bicycle-sharing system provides another option for shorter journeys and connections to public transport.
Kaohsiung’s tramway is known as the Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail. The completed route forms a loop of approximately 22.1 kilometres, with 38 stops, linking waterfront attractions, residential districts, shopping areas and cultural venues. Trams operate in both directions around the circle, allowing passengers to travel between different parts of the city without always passing through the central metro interchange.
The route serves the harbour redevelopment area around the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Love Pier and Pier-2 Art Center, before continuing through Hamasen and the western and northern districts. Other destinations along the loop include the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, the Heart of Love River and the commercial area around Dream Mall.
The tramway combines former railway corridors with reserved alignments along city streets. Landscaped track and sections running beneath mature trees are distinctive features of the system. Connections with the metro and Taiwan Railway allow the circular route to complement the city’s other rail services, supporting both everyday journeys and visits to its principal attractions.
Kaohsiung currently has 1 tram line. Further information is available in the Lines tab.
The circular light rail is operated by Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC), which also operates the city’s Red and Orange metro lines. The Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau is responsible for developing the city’s metro and light rail infrastructure.
- Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation — official metro and light rail information, route maps, timetables, fares and service updates.
- Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau — official information about the light rail system and rail development projects.
- Kaohsiung Transportation Bureau — wider city transport information, including bus services and transport initiatives.
Kaohsiung’s modern tramway developed partly from railway corridors associated with the city’s port. These routes had served the movement of goods around the harbour, but changes to railway operations and the redevelopment of waterfront land created an opportunity to use parts of the former railway alignment for urban passenger transport.
The proposed circular light rail would connect the harbour with residential and commercial districts around the city centre. It was designed to complement the metro’s Red and Orange lines, providing additional interchange opportunities and serving areas beyond the two main rapid transit corridors.
In 2004, a temporary light rail demonstration in Central Park gave residents an opportunity to experience modern tram travel. Organised by the city’s transport authorities, Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation and Siemens, it offered free public rides as part of efforts to promote the proposed system. This was a temporary demonstration rather than the opening of the permanent tramway.
Construction of the Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail began in 2013. The project introduced modern low-floor trams and a system designed to operate without continuous overhead wiring, helping to limit the visual impact of the tramway along streets and the waterfront.
The first section opened for passenger trial operations in October 2015, between Lizihnei and Kaisyuan Jhonghua. This short initial route comprised four stops and marked the introduction of Taiwan’s first modern light rail system. Services were extended progressively as further sections were completed.
During 2016 and 2017, the line advanced around the southern and western waterfront, reaching destinations including the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Love Pier and the Pier-2 Art Center. These extensions connected the tramway with areas undergoing a wider transformation from industrial and port uses into cultural and leisure districts.
The first construction phase was completed in September 2017, when services reached Hamasen. The route then extended for approximately 8.7 kilometres, with 14 stops. Connections with the metro at the southern and western ends strengthened its role within the city’s public transport network.
The second phase was intended to turn the waterfront route into a complete circle. Construction proceeded in stages, although parts of the proposed street alignment prompted debate about road space, parking and the effect on neighbouring communities.
A substantial extension opened in January 2021, taking services beyond both ends of the first-phase route. Further openings followed in 2021 and 2022, bringing the tramway through the western and northern districts, including the area around the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.
These additions broadened the system’s role beyond the harbour. The line increasingly served residential neighbourhoods, shopping areas and connections with the conventional railway, while landscaped sections became distinctive features of the route.
The final section opened on 1 January 2024, completing the loop after approximately a decade of construction. The finished system comprised 38 stops over approximately 22.1 kilometres, with trams operating in both directions around the circle. Full-circle services initially operated as free trials, with regular fare-paying operation beginning on 26 February 2024.
Completion removed the remaining gap through the northeastern part of the route and established the network’s present layout. From an initial four-stop section, the permanent tramway had developed into a circular urban transport link connecting the waterfront with districts around central Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung currently has 1 tram line, which is listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| C | Line C is a circular route that runs from Lizihnei via Dream Mall, Pier-2 Art Center, Hamasen, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts and Heart of Love River. |
Kaohsiung’s circular light rail is built to 1,435 mm standard gauge. The route combines former harbour railway corridors with reserved track along city streets, running predominantly at ground level. Road junctions are controlled by traffic signals, while the crossing of the Love River uses an elevated alignment. Landscaped track and grassed sections help integrate the tramway into its surroundings.
A distinctive feature is operation without continuous overhead wires along the passenger route. Trams carry onboard energy-storage equipment and recharge at stops using 750 V DC supplies. When a tram is correctly positioned and stationary, its pantograph rises to contact a short overhead charging rail. Stored energy then powers the vehicle between stops, reducing the need for poles and wiring along streets and the waterfront.
The principal maintenance facility is Cianjhen Depot, near the southern part of the circular route. It supports vehicle inspection, maintenance and preparation for service. Low platforms and fully low-floor vehicles provide accessible boarding, while the tramway’s reserved alignment separates it from general road traffic between junctions.
The fleet comprises 24 articulated trams, consisting of nine CAF Urbos vehicles supplied for the first phase and 15 Alstom Citadis X05 vehicles supplied for the second phase. Both fleets use onboard energy storage to operate over the wire-free passenger route.
The Spanish-built CAF Urbos trams provided the original fleet for the opening in 2015. Each is approximately 34.2 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, with 64 seats. Their ACR energy-storage equipment uses supercapacitors, supported by backup batteries, to store electricity for travel between charging points.
The Alstom Citadis X05 trams were assembled at La Rochelle in France and began carrying passengers on the existing line in November 2020, ahead of the January 2021 extensions. They are approximately 33.4 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, with 66 seats. Their Citadis Ecopack equipment stores energy onboard, with rapid recharging through the overhead contacts at stops.
Both types have fully low-floor interiors. The Citadis vehicles also feature wide double doors, large windows, air conditioning and passenger information screens, supporting accessibility and passenger movement within the tram.
The city has initiated procurement of 14 additional trams to accommodate growing demand. The planned fleet expansion is intended to increase capacity and reduce peak service intervals to approximately six minutes. These vehicles are a planned addition and are not included in the existing fleet total above.