Here's the honest version, from Jason's years in Zhubei: most people who live here drive or ride a scooter for daily life, and that shapes everything from where you rent to how long the school run takes. There's no metro. What Hsinchu does have is a high speed rail station half an hour from Taipei, a handful of useful local train lines, the Science Park's own shuttle buses, and buses that are better than their reputation if your route happens to match.
Short answer
Use the HSR for Taipei, Taoyuan Airport and the south. Use the TRA for the city centre, the Liujia Line between Zhubei and Hsinchu, and the Neiwan Line into the hills. For daily life, expect to drive or ride, and use buses and YouBike where they fit your route.
The one thing to get right: two different "Hsinchu Stations"
This catches out nearly everyone on their first trip. Hsinchu has two main stations, about 10 km apart, and they are not interchangeable.
| HSR Hsinchu Station (高鐵新竹站) | Hsinchu TRA Station (新竹火車站) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Liujia (六家), Zhubei City, Hsinchu County | The old city centre, North/East District, Hsinchu City |
| Trains | High speed rail: Taipei in about 31 to 36 minutes | Taiwan Railway: local and express trains, Taipei in about 1 to 2 hours |
| Good for | Taipei, Taoyuan Airport, Taichung and the south; the Biomedical park; Zhubei | The city centre, the City God Temple area, Neiwan Line connections |
| Link between them | The TRA Liujia Line: Liujia Station (六家) is joined to the HSR station; about 20 minutes to Hsinchu TRA, NT$24 | |
When you tell a taxi driver where to go, say 高鐵新竹站 (gāotiě Xīnzhú zhàn) for the HSR, or 新竹火車站 for the TRA. The full story is in the HSR station and how to get onward.
How each mode fits
- HSR High speed rail for the long trips. From HSR Hsinchu Station: Taipei NT$290, Taichung NT$410, Zuoying NT$1,200, one way in a standard reserved seat (checked November 2026). Commuters can buy a 30-day pass.
- TRA Local trains for the short ones. The West Coast Line runs through Hukou, Xinfeng, Zhubei, Hsinchu and Xiangshan. The Liujia Line links Hsinchu TRA to the HSR station, and the Neiwan Line climbs to Zhudong and Neiwan. Tap an EasyCard or iPASS on local trains. → Trains in Hsinchu
- BUS Buses and Science Park shuttles. City routes, Hsinchu County's express buses, and the Science Park's own weekday shuttles, some of which run from the HSR station. → Buses, bikes and scooters
- BIKE YouBike covers Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and the Science Park, at NT$10 per 30 minutes on a standard bike for the first four hours.
- CAR Cars and scooters for daily life. Most residents drive or ride. If you'll be here more than a few months, sort out your licence early.
Good to know: the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli TPASS monthly passes cover TRA (not the express Puyuma, Taroko or EMU3000 trains), city and county buses and YouBike's first 30 minutes. The smallest, Hsinchu City plus Hsinchu County, is NT$288 for 30 days. Details on the trains page.
Every page in this section
- High speed railThe HSR to Hsinchu and ZhubeiWhy the station is in Zhubei, times and fares, passes, and every way onward.
- WorkCommuting to the Science ParkBy home area and mode, the different park sites, shuttles and the rush-hour squeeze.
- Taiwan RailwayTrains in HsinchuWest Coast, Liujia and Neiwan lines, stations, fares, cards and TPASS.
- LocalBuses, bikes and scootersCity and county buses, YouBike, driving licences, taxis and Uber.
- Further afieldTaipei and the airportHSR, train, bus and car to Taipei and Taoyuan International Airport.
What this means for where you live
Transport is the quiet deciding factor in where to live. Near the HSR in Zhubei, Taipei is easy and the Science Park is a short drive or shuttle ride. In East District you can be minutes from the park on a bike. In the old city centre you have the TRA and the most bus routes, but a longer trip to the HSR. Wherever you choose, try the commute at rush hour before you sign a lease.
→ Commuting to the Science Park · Where to live · A work trip to Hsinchu
Sources: Taiwan High Speed Rail, timetable and fare search (from Hsinchu, for November 10, 2026); THSR, Hsinchu Station; Taiwan Railway, timetable and fare search; iPASS, Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli TPASS plans; YouBike, Hsinchu fares; Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, transport. Checked November 2026.