The Taipei Railway's Tropic of Cancer station, which has been abolished for more than 20 years, will welcome passengers as a new "Forest of Light" station. The Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation stated that considering the transportation needs of the southern side of Chiayi City and the water area of Chiayi County, the Tropic of Cancer station was re-established in conjunction with the "Chiayi Urban Railway Elevation Plan". The current project progress is about 80%, and the target is to be opened to traffic in the second half of next year. The new station is located between Chiayi Station and Shuangshui Station. Once opened, residents near the Tropic of Cancer, Xialiao Village and adjacent areas will be able to take the bus nearby. It is estimated that it will save 20 minutes during peak commuting hours, and it will also connect nearby tourism resources.
Liu Yunsheng, deputy director of the Railway Bureau, said that the overall plan for the elevated railway in Chiayi City is aimed at opening to traffic by the end of 2029. The total plan mainly includes three stations, among which the "Forest of Light" Tropic of Cancer station is expected to be opened in the second half of next year. In addition, "Cheng Zhi Sen" Chiayi Station and "Yuan Zhi Sen" Jiabei Station are expected to be elevated.
Lin Jianzhi, deputy director of the China Railway Bureau's Industrial Bureau, pointed out that the history of the Tropic of Cancer station can be traced back to the Japanese colonial period. It was a railway station in 1937. In 1943, it began to serve local industrial goods transportation, with an annual transportation volume of up to 178,000 metric tons. It also handled passenger transportation from 1949 to 1961, and was abolished in 2002 as the industrial structure and transportation needs changed. This relocation of the station will transform it from a post station mainly used for industrial freight to a transportation base serving residents' commuting, schooling and leisure.
Lin Jianzhi shared that the design theme of the new station is "Forest of Light", which combines the image of sunlight on the Tropic of Cancer with Chiayi's natural landscape features such as the Alishan Mountain Ridge, the sea of clouds and forests, and introduces natural lighting through the glass station to create a bright and comfortable travel space; at night, architectural lighting is used to present "light" "Box" landscape, the light shines through at night like "a piece of light" in the forest, taking into account energy conservation and the integration of the surrounding environment. The total cost of the station project is about 600 million, and the current progress of the project is about 80%. With next year as the goal, relevant inspections, surveys and preparations for opening are expected to be launched in the second half of next year.
Compared with the quay-wall platform in the past, the new station adopts a cross-station station design, with two island platforms, four tracks, and rain shelter facilities are planned to connect the spaces on both sides of the railway, and connect the Chiayi County Science Education Center Tropic of Cancer Marker Park (Solar Pavilion), the Space Education Center, as well as the northern loop bicycle path, Jiayou Railway Horse Trail and other recreational resources. In the future, with the integration of surrounding pedestrian movement lines, public spaces and connection facilities, people can take the railway, walk or bike to visit surrounding attractions.
Lin Jianzhi pointed out that the new station cost 600 million and is located between Chiayi Station and Shuishui Station. It is 4 kilometers away from Chiayi Station and 2.6 kilometers away from Shuishui Station. After the elevated railway in Chiayi City is completed, the Chiayi Locomotive Depot will be moved to the water vehicle base, and electric trains will be built in the future. It will also be transferred to the floating base for parking and maintenance. The train entry and exit base will be connected with the Tropic of Cancer station and surrounding track facilities. Therefore, the new station will also become an important node for the operation and dispatching of shuttle buses, which can increase the flexibility of the operation of shuttle trains going north and south.
Lin Jianzhi said that the average daily transportation volume of the water station is 1,300 passengers. It is estimated that the average daily transportation volume of the Tropic of Cancer station will be 1,000 passengers in 2030. After it is put into use, residents near the Tropic of Cancer, Xialiao Village and adjacent areas will be able to take the bus nearby. It is estimated that 20 minutes will be saved during peak commuting hours, and it will also be able to connect nearby tourism resources.
