The first of 12 new train sets that Taiwan High Speed Rail bought from Japan has now arrived in Taiwan, and fares that have not changed in 20 years may rise along with it — bad news for frequent high speed rail passengers.

• The first new train set, the N700ST, has arrived at Kaohsiung Port and is expected to enter service in July next year.
• The head of Taiwan High Speed Rail made a direct appeal to the Minister of Transportation on the spot, saying that the fares, which have not been adjusted in 20 years, should be reviewed.
• The Minister of Transportation took a cautious stance, requiring that safety, capacity, and service all be upgraded to a level that satisfies the public before any fare increase is discussed.
• Once all 12 new train sets are in service, peak-hour capacity can be increased by 25%.
• In the future, fares will be more flexible, including a variety of early-bird tickets and travel and demographic discounts, and will also be tiered according to train type and trip length.

Outlook: The actual fare increase would not take effect until after September 2028, once all 12 new train sets are in service.