Taiwan

Taichung

The hub of central Taiwan. Rail here means a single metro line, so most journeys fall to the city buses.

Taiwan Railway (TRA)

The metro does not reach Taichung Station; TRA local trains do - 15 minutes from Xinwuri, joined to the HSR station by a second-floor corridor. Stored-value cards work, but not on Tze-Chiang 3000, Puyuma or Taroko.

Updated 10 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    From the HSR, walk the second-floor corridor to Xinwuri
    Exit 3 on the second floor of HSR Taichung leads into TRA Xinwuri, a five-to-ten-minute walk.
  2. 2
    Sort out a card or ticket before boarding
    EasyCard, iPASS and icash work as they are; for a seat, buy a reserved ticket at a counter or machine.
  3. 3
    Tap your card at the gate
    TRA's own ticket QR is read at the same gate; with no entry record you have to settle up on the way out.
  4. 4
    Check the train type on the platform, then board
    Local trains take an IC card. Tze-Chiang 3000, Puyuma and Taroko bar them; on other reserved trains you stand.
  5. 5
    Always tap out as well
    Skip it and the next gate blocks you; leaving through the station you entered is charged too.

Fares

Single fares3

Local train, Taichung to Xinwuri
The run out to the HSR station, 12 to 15 minutes, at TRA's minimum fare
22 TWD ≈ $0.7
Local train, Taichung to Fengyuan
North on the mountain line; also inside the regional pass zone
31 TWD ≈ $1
Local train, Taichung to Changhua
Changhua sits outside the Taichung pass zone, so the whole trip is charged
39 TWD ≈ $1

Passes & multi-ride1

Central Taiwan regional pass, Taichung (non-resident)
A 30-day pass; on TRA only Taian-Chenggong, Rinan-Zhuifen and the Chengzhui line
599 TWD ≈ $19

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 18, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
The gates read stored-value transit cards only; a bank card will not open them
Card payment at machines
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Card works when collecting a booked ticket at a counter or machine
IC card
At the gates: EasyCard, iPASS and icash; tap both on the way in and on the way out
App tickets
iPhone is excluded because Apple has not opened NFC access
臺鐵e訂通
At the gates: Only the EasyWallet app's NFC ride function opens the gates
QR ticketing
Ride codes from iPass Money, EasyWallet and Line Pay are not read
At the gates: TRA's own ticket QR is scanned at the gate; at ungated stations, show staff
Paper tickets
At machines: Reserved trains need a ticket, sold at counters and machines
Cash
At machines: Works at station counters, as does topping up an IC card there or at a machine

Quick facts

Hours
Taichung Stn 05:00-23:40
Fares from
22 TWD+

Heads-up

  • Three different stations are called Wuri

    The metro's Wuri station is not a railway station. The interchange is the next stop, HSR Taichung, where the TRA station is called Xinwuri. Get off early and there is nothing to change to.

  • Some trains bar stored-value cards

    Boarding a Tze-Chiang 3000, Puyuma or Taroko train on a stored-value card counts as fare evasion - the fare plus a 50% surcharge. Check the train type on the platform display before you step on.

  • Tapping in and out at one station still costs you

    Enter and leave through the same station and a stored-value card is still charged by how long you stayed - NT$22 within an hour, NT$161 from one to three, NT$933 beyond that. Taichung Station has shops inside the gates, so it is easy to trip over.

Timetable

Operating hours Taichung Stn 05:00-23:40
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka