Shocking Move! Taiwan's HSR Extension to Yilan Criticized as 'Wasteful Blind Alley' as Zhang Jing-sen Announces DPP Withdrawal

After lengthy discussions, the Executive Yuan officially approved the 'HSR Extension to Yilan Plan' on the 23rd, a major transportation construction project with a total budget of approximately 352.1 billion NT dollars. The plan will extend the HSR from Nangang Station eastward to Yilan, with a total route length of approximately 60.6 kilometers. It is estimated to take about 11 years to complete from the approval date, after which Taipei to Yilan will take as little as 20 minutes, expected to alleviate the long-standing traffic congestion on National Highway No. 5. In response, former political commissioner Zhang Jing-sen shockingly announced on the 24th that he believes the HSR extension to Yilan is a major historical mistake and announced his immediate withdrawal from the DPP. The HSR extension to Yilan, which has been debated for years, was formally approved by Premier Chen Chien-jen on the 23rd after going through years of planning, environmental impact assessments, and comprehensive planning reviews. It is expected to be completed and operational 11 years after approval, gradually achieving the goal of 'Taipei to Kaohsiung, Taipei to Hualien, Kaohsiung to Taitung, and Hualien to Taitung' four 90-minute living circles. According to the Ministry of Transportation, the HSR Yilan Station will be located near the Yilan County Government Center and will adopt a dual-rail design with the planned TRA 'County Government Center Station.' The Railway Bureau pointed out that after the completion of the HSR extension to Yilan, the track transportation capacity during peak hours can be significantly increased, helping to divert traffic demand from National Highway No. 5 and the existing TRA North Loop Line. Premier Chen Chien-jen mentioned that by the end of 2024, the 'HSR Extension to Pingtung Plan' will be decided to adopt the 'Kaohsiung Plan,' with the line running from the HSR Zuoying Station through the Kaohsiung Station to Liudiku in Pingtung, with a total length of 26.2 kilometers, aiming to pass the environmental impact assessment next year and accelerate the promotion for completion. On the eastern side, transportation has long relied on the TRA, and the HSR extension to Yilan plan is the first step in connecting, which will become a new starting point for strengthening the resilience of transportation in eastern Taiwan in the future. However, Zhang Jing-sen directly stated in the article that for the sake of local election benefits, Chen Chien-jen approved a budget of nearly 400 billion NT dollars to build a 'useless blind alley HSR,' which he cannot agree with. Why did Zhang Jing-sen withdraw from the DPP? What did he say? Zhang Jing-sen stated that he believes this is an unwise investment, a major historical mistake, and for this reason, he announced his immediate withdrawal from the DPP, which he has been a member of for 32 years and has walked together on Taiwan's democratic path. At the end of the article, Zhang Jing-sen also called on the ruling party, especially the young people within the party, to reflect that a party entrusted by the people and responsible for Taiwan should be responsible for the use of people's taxes, 'absolutely should not continue the old path of barrel politics!'