The southwest corner of Changhua County (Erlin, Fangyuan, Zhutang, and Dacheng) has a population of more than 100,000. However, it has been without railways and expressways for many years, turning it into a traffic island. In order to solve the problem of rural areas, the Changhua County Government obtained central subsidies and raised a total of 46.5 million yuan to build a new "Erlin Transfer Station" in Erlin Town, which was officially opened today (29th). The on-site integration of 14 passenger routes will not only provide direct access to Taipei, but also act as a commuting hub for the Zhongke Erlin Park. It is also expected to open up a gap in the traffic bottleneck that has been stagnant for 30 years.
Erlin is an important transportation town in the southwest corner of Changhua. However, it lacked rail transportation and express roads in the past (the Erlin section of the Provincial Highway 76 extension is expected to be completed by the end of 2026). It often takes more than an hour to drive to Changhua, Yuanlin or Taichung urban areas, making the place like an "isolated island" and causing serious population outmigration.
The newly opened Erlin Transfer Station is located at the intersection of Erxi Road Section 1 and Renai Road, covering an area of about 506 square meters. It is operated by Yuanlin Passenger Transport and Tonglian Passenger Transport. It integrates 3 urban passenger transports, including the MRT Shuanglin Line Pilot Bus (No. 20), 10 highway passenger transports and 1 national highway passenger transport. In the future, whether traveling to Taichung High-Speed Railway Station, Nantou Xitou, or directly to Taipei, villagers will be able to easily transfer in one stop.
Changhua County Mayor Wang Huimei, Deputy Director of the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transport Zhou Tingzhang and others attended the opening ceremony today. Wang Huimei said, "If people want to be healthy, their blood vessels must be open; if the economy is to be good, transportation must be open." In the past, the waiting environment in rural areas was simple, but the new transfer station has a spacious and comfortable space. A convenience store will be introduced on the first floor, and local specialties and holiday markets will be planned on the second floor. In addition, there are MOOVO public bicycles next to the station, connecting a total of 9 stations in the town. At the same time, 8 "Happiness Buses" are planned to run every day, connecting the bases that were originally inaccessible to buses to the transfer station, making the transfer station a new landmark that combines transportation and local humanity.
Zhou Tingzhang said that as a son of Changhua, he was grateful to the county government team for attaching great importance to transportation construction. Erlin is an important transportation town in the southwest corner of Changhua, and the China Science Park is stationed there. The Highway Bureau will continue to cooperate with the county government in the future to improve local transportation convenience through the T-PASS public transportation program and electric bus subsidies.
Erlin Town Mayor Cai Shijie said that Erlin Town has developed rapidly in recent years due to the opening of the Zhongke Erlin Park, including the operation of a new silicon factory, and the semiconductor giant Hejing Technology is expected to invest 15 billion yuan to build a new factory, bringing a large number of jobs and immigrants. However, Erlin urban area is about 15 minutes' drive from the Zhongke Park, and the establishment of the transfer station just makes up for the commuting demand brought about by industrial development.
