West Coast Line (Taiwan)

West Coast Line
Overview
Native name	縱貫線
Type	Heavy rail
Termini	Keelung Kaohsiung
Stations	91
Operation
Opened	10 August 1902
Owner	Taiwan Railways Administration
Operator(s)	Taiwan Railways Administration
Technical
Line length	404.5 km (251.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Varies
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification	25 kV/60 Hz Catenary (incomplete)
Operating speed	Varies

West Coast Line (Chinese: 縱貫線) is a railway line of the Taiwan Railway Administration running along Taiwan's densely populated western corridor. As a result of this, it remains the busiest rail line in Taiwan. In 2009, the line served over 164.3 million passengers, averaging 450,244 passengers per day.

The total length of the line is 404.5 km. The coastal section between Zhunan and Changhua is known as Coastal Line (海線) and is 90.2 km long. It was built after Taichung Line, which is also known as Mountain Line (山線). Many express services take the Taichung route. Train schedules and departure boards mark either 山線 or 海線 to indicate the route taken. Despite being less advanced than Taichung Line, the Coastal Line is classified as part of the main line while Taichung Line is a separate line.

The original railroad between Keelung and Dadaocheng was completed in 1891. The section between Dadaocheng and Hsinchu was finished in 1893. However, these sections were all rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century. The northern and soutern sections and the Taichung Line were completed in 1908. The Coastal Line (海線), finished in 1922, was used to relieve congestion near Taichung. Today the Coastal Line is classified as part of the main line and the Taichung Line is considered a separate line.

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