The high speed rail is the best thing about Hsinchu's transport, and the one thing visitors most often get wrong. HSR Hsinchu Station (高鐵新竹站) isn't in Hsinchu City at all. It's in the Liujia (六家) area of Zhubei, Hsinchu County, surrounded by the towers, offices and wide roads that have grown up around it. If your hotel, office or new flat is in the old city, you still have a train, bus or taxi ride ahead of you. If it's in Zhubei or the Biomedical park, you're nearly there.
- Address No. 6, Gaotie 7th Road, Zhubei City (竹北市高鐵七路6號)
- Station hours 06:15 to 23:45; ticket sales until the last train
- To Taipei 31 to 36 minutes, NT$290 reserved or NT$280 non-reserved
- To Hsinchu TRA TRA Liujia Line from Liujia Station, connected on the 2nd floor: about 20 minutes, NT$24
- Book thsrc.com.tw, THSR's T Express app, station machines or counters
HSR Hsinchu vs Hsinchu TRA
The two are about 10 km apart. Hsinchu TRA Station (新竹火車站) is the historic station in the city centre, on Taiwan Railway's West Coast Line, a short walk from the City God Temple. HSR Hsinchu Station sits on the high speed line, which skirts the city to the east. Ticket machines and announcements on the HSR just say "Hsinchu", so if you're meeting someone, say which station you mean. There's more on the old station on the trains page.
Times and fares from HSR Hsinchu
One-way adult fares and journey times from THSR's timetable for a weekday (Tuesday, November 10, 2026). Times vary by how many stops a train makes.
| Hsinchu to | Journey time | Standard, reserved | Non-reserved | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nangang (南港) | 42 to 48 min | NT$330 | NT$320 | NT$700 |
| Taipei (台北) | 31 to 36 min | NT$290 | NT$280 | NT$640 |
| Banqiao (板橋) | 23 to 27 min | NT$260 | NT$250 | NT$590 |
| Taoyuan (桃園) | 10 to 12 min | NT$130 | NT$125 | NT$400 |
| Miaoli (苗栗) | 10 to 11 min | NT$140 | NT$135 | NT$410 |
| Taichung (台中) | 24 to 30 min | NT$410 | NT$395 | NT$820 |
| Tainan (台南) | 69 to 84 min | NT$1,060 | NT$1,025 | NT$1,790 |
| Zuoying (左營) | 83 to 98 min | NT$1,200 | NT$1,160 | NT$2,000 |
Children, seniors (65+) and passengers with disability cards pay half. The Taipei run has several trains an hour at peak: on our sample weekday, eight northbound trains left Hsinchu between 07:00 and 09:00. Not every train stops at Hsinchu, and Miaoli has fewer stops again, so check the timetable for your train.
Cheaper tickets and commuter passes
- Early bird (早鳥). 35%, 20% or 10% off standard reserved seats on selected trains, in limited numbers. Sold online, in the T Express app and at partner convenience stores, not at station counters, and only until five days before travel. Tickets carry the last digits of your ID or passport number, so they're for you alone. Busy Friday and holiday trains may have no early bird seats at all.
- Non-reserved (自由座). A little cheaper, valid on the day for any train, in the non-reserved cars only.
- 30-day commuter pass (定期票). Unlimited rides in non-reserved cars between two stations for 30 days, priced at 49% of the non-reserved fare for two trips a day. In November 2026, Hsinchu to Taipei was NT$8,230 and Hsinchu to Nangang NT$9,405. The 30 days run whether you ride or not.
- Multi-ride ticket (回數票). 10 rides in 30 days at 18% off the non-reserved fare, or 8 rides in 60 days at 8% off. Better if you only go to Taipei two or three days a week.
- University students get up to half off on selected trains with a student ID card, and groups of 11 or more get group fares.
Commuter passes and multi-ride tickets are on a named smart card. The first time, you apply at a station ticket window with photo ID and a 2-inch photo (or have one taken there), and pay a non-refundable NT$100 card fee. After that you can renew in the app and tap the card at a station kiosk to load it. These options suit you if you live in one city and work in the other.
Good to know: the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli TPASS monthly pass is for TRA, buses and YouBike. The plan's coverage doesn't include the HSR.
Getting onward from the station
TRA The Liujia Line to Hsinchu TRA and Zhuzhong
For the city centre, this is the reliable option. Walk from the HSR station's 2nd-floor corridor into Liujia Station (六家車站). Local trains run to Hsinchu TRA in 19 to 21 minutes for NT$24, about every half hour, from around 06:20 to 23:40 (from Liujia, November 2026 timetable). They stop at Zhuzhong (竹中), where you change for the Neiwan Line to Zhudong and Neiwan, and at Xinzhuang, Qianjia and Beixinzhu. Tap an EasyCard or iPASS. More on trains in Hsinchu.
BUS Buses
Buses leave from the station's bus area. The ones you're most likely to use:
- 182 (Kuo-Kuang): to Hsinchu City by way of Costco, the Science Park, Guangfu Road, National Tsing Hua University and Hsinchu TRA, ending at Beida Bridge (北大橋). 22 a day each way; the first leaves the HSR at 07:15 and the last at 22:30.
- Pioneer Bus A (先導公車A): a similar route to the city that also runs through the Science Park's 科技生活館 (Science and Technology Life Center) and the NYCU campus.
- Science Park shuttles (Orange and Green Energy lines): the Science Park Bureau's own weekday shuttles between the HSR station, the Biomedical park and the main Hsinchu Science Park. See commuting to the Science Park.
- 5900: HSR to Zhubei TRA Station, via the Sheraton, Dongyuan Hospital (東元醫院), Hsinchu County Hall and the former Carrefour building (the stop may still carry the old name, 家樂福).
- County express buses: Express 7 to the Zhubei City Office, Express 8 to Zhudong (via Zhuzhong), Express 5 to Hukou Industrial Park, Express 9 to Hsinchu TRA and NYCU's Boai campus.
- 60 and 61: Zhubei residents' free bus loops (竹北市民免費公車) between the HSR area, County Hall and Zhubei TRA.
Routes, stops and live arrivals are on Hsinchu County's bus information site, which lists Hsinchu City routes too.
CAR Taxis, Uber, rental cars and parking
- Taxis wait outside. THSR lists Metro Taxi (0800-000943, or 55178 from a mobile) for the station. Uber also operates in Hsinchu, though it warns pickup times can be longer than in bigger cities.
- Rental cars: Car Plus (0800-222-568) and Hotai (0800-024-550) have desks here.
- Parking (rates from September 15, 2026): cars NT$50 an hour, NT$350 a day max in lots P1 and P2; NT$60 an hour, NT$720 a day max in P3; scooters NT$10 an hour, NT$100 a day max. The first 30 minutes are free.
By car, the station is a short drive from most of Zhubei. To the main Science Park or Hsinchu's city centre, allow roughly 15 to 30 minutes outside rush hour, and more at peak times, when the bridges over the Touqian River (頭前溪) back up. These are our estimates, not timetable figures.
In town for a few days? Our guide to a work trip puts the station, the office and dinner together, and where to stay compares hotels by area.
→ Taipei and the airport · Commuting to the Science Park · Living in Zhubei
Sources: THSR, timetable and fare search (Hsinchu to each station, November 10, 2026); THSR, Hsinchu Station: hours, transfers, parking, taxis; THSR fare products, early bird, commuter pass and multi-ride ticket; Taiwan Railway, timetable and fares (Liujia and Hsinchu, November 10, 2026); Hsinchu County bus information (routes and stops); Highway Bureau bus timetables (route 182); Science Park Bureau, shuttle buses; Uber, Hsinchu; iPASS, TPASS plans. Checked November 2026.