TRA Unveils Major New Initiative: Unified Real-Time Information Displays Across All Taiwan Stations to Solve Longstanding Issues

Frequent commuters and travelers using Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) services will soon find checking train schedules at stations much easier and more intuitive. In the past, information displays across TRA stations varied in specifications and formats due to staggered procurement, causing confusion for passengers traveling across counties and cities. To improve travel experience, TRA and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications have jointly launched the 'Full-line Train and Station Information Display System Upgrade Project,' comprehensively replacing aging equipment at all 219 stations across Taiwan. The newly introduced display screens feature a 'color identification system' and standardized directional arrows, allowing passengers to instantly understand train types and boarding directions.

No more confusion when boarding! TRA upgrades information displays at all 219 stations nationwide with 'four-color coding and intuitive arrows' for instant comprehension of waiting information.

According to TRA, the new train information displays are designed entirely from a 'passenger-first perspective,' with the key highlight being the use of visual colors to differentiate train types and ticketing restrictions, thereby streamlining boarding flow. The new four-color identification system is as follows:

[Purple Border]: Indicates 'reserved seating only' trains (e.g., new Tze-Chiang Limited Express EMU3000, Taroko Express, Puyuma Express), where passengers without same-day, same-train tickets are not allowed to board.

[Orange Border]: Represents reserved trains with unreserved seating (e.g., conventional Tze-Chiang, Chu-Kuang Express), open to passengers with electronic tickets or unreserved seat tickets.

[Black Text (No Border)]: Denotes local trains or commuter express trains, which are 'entirely unreserved' services.

[Special Colors]: Used for special theme trains such as tourist trains, enabling quick visual identification.

In addition to color-coded train types, the new panels include uniformly sized 'large arrows' indicating travel direction. Whether at ticketing areas, entry gates, platform stairways, or escalators—key transfer points—passengers will enjoy a seamless experience with real-time updates on train arrivals, operations, and unexpected alerts.

TRA upgrades information displays at all 219 stations nationwide. (Image: Taiwan Railway Corporation, Ltd.)

Full system rollout expected by February 2028, synchronized with the largest timetable revision in years

This nationwide overhaul has already been piloted at select stations this year and will be rolled out in three phases, with full completion across all 219 stations targeted for February 2028. This will ensure a fully unified signage system across Taiwan's island-wide rail network.

Notably, in addition to hardware upgrades, TRA is also implementing its largest-ever 'timetable revision,' adjusting up to 653 train services. The changes include significantly improving operational efficiency on western trunk lines, adding more services during peak commuting hours, enhancing capacity between Taipei and Yilan on the eastern line, and fully utilizing the EMU3000 new Tze-Chiang train fleet. With both hardware display upgrades and optimized schedules working in tandem, TRA aims to deliver a more user-friendly and intuitive travel environment for rail commuters.