Taiwan’s High Speed Rail will introduce new rules for non-reserved seat passengers starting in 2026, aiming to ease overcrowding and improve passenger safety during peak travel times.
Currently, travelers with non-reserved tickets enjoy flexibility by boarding designated carriages, often at a slight discount. However, demand during busy hours has led to overcrowding, forcing staff to make exceptions and allow standing passengers in more carriages than usual. This has occasionally prevented passengers with reserved tickets from boarding.
To address the issue, the rail operator plans to restrict non-reserved ticket holders from boarding any train they choose during peak hours. The changes are designed to ensure smoother boarding, maintain safety standards, and enhance the travel experience.
The company is also experimenting with deeper discounts to encourage travel during off-peak and less popular times. For select holiday weekends this year, a 50% discount will be offered—greater than the current 35%—to distribute passenger flow more evenly.
Looking ahead, ridership is expected to surpass 80 million in 2025, compared to pre-pandemic levels of about 57 million in 2019. The operator also plans to expand capacity further with the introduction of 12 new trains by 2028.