Hsinchu's local trains won't get you everywhere, but where they go, they're cheap, frequent and immune to traffic. Taiwan Railway (TRA, 台鐵) runs three lines here: the main West Coast Line along the coastal plain, the short Liujia Line that links the city centre to the HSR station in Zhubei, and the Neiwan Line, which climbs into the Hakka hill towns. If you live near one of them, a monthly TPASS makes them nearly free.
- Main station Hsinchu TRA Station (新竹車站), in the city centre; not the HSR station, which is 10 km away in Zhubei
- To Zhubei 7 to 9 minutes, NT$22 by local train
- To the HSR Liujia Line to Liujia, 19 to 21 minutes, NT$24
- Pay Tap an EasyCard or iPASS on local trains; buy a ticket for reserved trains
- Monthly pass TPASS from NT$288 for 30 days (Hsinchu City and County)
Hsinchu TRA Station
The station building was completed in 1913, designed by Matsuzaki Mancho (松崎萬長) for the Japanese-era railway bureau, and is now a national monument. It's worth a look even if you're not catching a train. The intercity Hsinchu Bus Station (新竹轉運站) is right beside it, and the old city centre and the City God Temple are a short walk away.
The three lines
TRA West Coast Line (縱貫線)
The main line north to Taoyuan and Taipei and south to Miaoli. Stations in Hsinchu County and City, north to south:
- Beihu (北湖) and Hukou (湖口), Hukou Township
- Xinfeng (新豐), Xinfeng Township
- Zhubei (竹北), in old Zhubei
- Beixinzhu (北新竹), where the Liujia and Neiwan trains branch off
- Hsinchu (新竹), the city centre
- Sanxingqiao (三姓橋) and Xiangshan (香山), Xiangshan District
South of Xiangshan the line crosses into Miaoli County at Qiding (崎頂) and reaches Zhunan (竹南), where it splits into the mountain and coast lines. Local trains stop everywhere; the faster Tze-Chiang (自強) trains stop at Hsinchu and a few of the others.
TRA Liujia Line (六家線)
Opened in November 2011 to connect the city with the HSR. Trains run from Hsinchu through Beixinzhu (北新竹), Qianjia (千甲), Xinzhuang (新莊) and Zhuzhong (竹中) to Liujia (六家), which is joined to HSR Hsinchu Station. The Liujia branch itself is only 3.1 km, from Zhuzhong. On our sample weekday there were 41 trains a day each way, roughly every half hour, taking 19 to 21 minutes end to end. Read more on the HSR station.
TRA Neiwan Line (內灣線)
From Zhuzhong (竹中) the Neiwan Line heads up the valley: Shangyuan (上員), Ronghua (榮華), Zhudong (竹東), Hengshan (橫山), Jiuzantou (九讚頭), Hexing (合興), Fugui (富貴) and Neiwan (內灣). Officially the line starts at Hsinchu, and some trains run through, but most trips mean changing at Zhuzhong. On our sample weekday, 18 trains a day ran Zhuzhong to Neiwan, taking 41 to 47 minutes, and seven ran straight through from Hsinchu in about an hour. It's a commuter line for Zhudong and a weekend line for everyone else: see the Neiwan day trip.
Times and fares
One-way adult fares and journey times from TRA's timetable for Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Local trains (區間車) need no booking.
| From Hsinchu to | Local train | Local fare | Tze-Chiang (fastest) | Tze-Chiang fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhubei (竹北) | 7 to 9 min | NT$22 | Rare (about 5 min) | NT$34 |
| Xiangshan (香山) | 8 to 10 min | NT$22 | Local only | |
| Zhuzhong (竹中) | 13 to 16 min | NT$22 | Local only | |
| Liujia (六家) | 19 to 21 min | NT$24 | Local only | |
| Hukou (湖口) | 17 to 31 min | NT$37 | Rare (about 16 min) | NT$57 |
| Zhudong (竹東) | About 32 min (through trains) | NT$39 | Local only | |
| Zhunan (竹南) | 19 to 33 min | NT$41 | 14 to 15 min | NT$63 |
| Neiwan (內灣) | About 1 hour (through trains) | NT$60 | Local only | |
| Taoyuan (桃園) | 56 to 80 min | NT$107 | 30 to 49 min | NT$166 |
| Taipei (臺北) | 97 to 122 min | NT$163 | 54 to 88 min | NT$253 |
Zhuzhong to Neiwan on its own is NT$43. A handful of local express trains (區間快) cut the Taipei run to 80 to 89 minutes at the local fare. For Taipei, the HSR is much quicker; the train is the cheap, no-booking option. Our page on Taipei and the airport compares them.
Tickets, cards and booking
- Local trains: tap in and out with an EasyCard (悠遊卡) or iPASS (一卡通). No reservation, and you can stand.
- Tze-Chiang trains: buy a reserved ticket on the TRA website, in TRA's T-Express app (台鐵e訂通), from machines or at the counter. The newest EMU3000 trains sell no standing tickets, and TRA's timetable says not to board an EMU3000 with a transit card, a pass or a ticket for a different train.
- Bikes: some trains carry bicycles; TRA's timetable search lets you filter for them.
TPASS: the monthly pass
If you ride most days, look at TPASS (行政院通勤月票). In this region you set a plan on your card, and for 30 days from your first tap you get unlimited TRA rides within the zone, city and county buses, and the first 30 minutes of every YouBike ride.
| Plan | Price (30 days) | TRA coverage | Also covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hsinchu City + County (竹竹) | NT$288 | Beihu to Xiangshan, plus the Liujia and Neiwan lines | Hsinchu City and County buses; YouBike incl. the Science Park |
| Hsinchu + Miaoli (竹竹苗) | NT$699 | Beihu to Zhunan, the mountain line to Sanyi and the coast line to Yuanli, plus Liujia and Neiwan | Buses in Hsinchu City, County and Miaoli |
| Taoyuan + Hsinchu (桃竹竹) | NT$799 | Taoyuan to Xiangshan, plus Liujia and Neiwan | Taoyuan buses too, and Airport MRT stations A7 to A22 |
| Taoyuan + Hsinchu + Miaoli (桃竹竹苗) | NT$1,200 | Taoyuan to Zhunan, mountain line to Sanyi, coast line to Yuanli, plus Liujia and Neiwan | All of the above |
The pass doesn't cover tourist or group trains, the Taroko, Puyuma or EMU3000 Tze-Chiang trains, or other trains TRA designates. You must get on and off inside your zone: ride past it and the whole trip is charged at full fare. The pass starts on your first tap and must be activated within 30 days of buying it. You pay from the stored value on your card, not in cash, and you can renew once in the 10 days before it runs out. iPASS confirms its cards carry the plans; for an EasyCard, ask at a station.
Good to know: the TPASS plans don't include the HSR. If you commute to Taipei by high speed rail, look at THSR's own 30-day pass instead.
→ The HSR station · Neiwan and the Neiwan Line · Buses, bikes and scooters
Sources: Taiwan Railway, timetable and fare search (Hsinchu to each station, Zhuzhong to Neiwan, November 10, 2026, including the EMU3000 boarding notice); Hsinchu Station history, Neiwan Line and Liujia Line (stations, opening dates); THSR, Hsinchu Station transfers; iPASS, Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli TPASS plans (page updated September 11, 2026); YouBike, Hsinchu fares and TPASS discount. Checked November 2026.