Public Group Reveals Control Yuan Investigation Report, Urges Suspension of High-Speed Rail Extension to Yilan
A public group, 'Citizen's Help,' revealed the Control Yuan's investigation report, highlighting significant procedural flaws and environmental assessment issues in the High-Speed Rail (HSR) extension project to Yilan. They are calling for an immediate suspension and re-evaluation of the project. The Railway Bureau stated that the project is being handled in accordance with laws and regulations.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 15:16
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 15:32 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 08:19 (16h 47m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Qiaowen, Taipei, 12th) Regarding the High-Speed Rail (HSR) extension project to Yilan, a public group submitted a petition to the Control Yuan last year. Today, in addition to urging a temporary halt to the project, they also revealed the Control Yuan's investigation report, which mentioned procedural flaws and other investigative opinions. The Railway Bureau stated that all stages, including the revision of the feasibility study, comprehensive planning, and environmental impact assessment, have been handled in accordance with the law.
The public group 'Citizen's Help' submitted a petition regarding the HSR Yilan extension project to the Control Yuan in May last year. The Control Yuan launched an investigation, and 'Citizen's Help' held a press conference today to announce the five major aspects covered in the Control Yuan's recently released investigation report.
These include: proceeding with comprehensive planning without first submitting a feasibility study, which is inconsistent with the normal practice for public construction planning; the process of outsourcing comprehensive planning and labor procurement implicitly contains concerns about incomplete existing laws and potential conflicts of interest for planners and evaluators; a significant lack of public participation, public opinion communication, and social dialogue; the large-scale designation of a 420-hectare station-specific zone lacks a theoretical basis, does not align with Yilan County's development needs and national land planning, and carries the risk of excessive conversion of prime agricultural land and expropriation of private land; and the route and station-specific zone were not subjected to individual environmental impact assessments simultaneously, with the former also failing to undergo a policy environmental impact assessment first.
Former Minister of Transportation and Communications, He Chendan, pointed out that this case bypassed the feasibility study, forced its way through environmental assessment, and condoned the developing unit's disregard for resolutions.
'Citizen's Help' stated that the Control Yuan's investigation opinions fully reveal major deficiencies in the HSR Yilan extension project across three core aspects: planning procedures, democratic legitimacy, and environmental assessment. These findings are highly consistent with the problems 'Citizen's Help' has long pointed out since its petition in May 2025. They hope that relevant agencies will truly take the Control Yuan's investigation report seriously and implement improvements item by item according to the opinions.
Huang Jianxing, chairman of 'Citizen's Help,' stated that today's press conference had three major appeals: strengthening public opinion communication, objectively evaluating the Beiyi HSR project, and temporarily suspending the Beiyi HSR project.
Liu Zhongshu, spokesperson for the HSR Yilan Extension Oversight Alliance, stated that Yilan residents have never opposed good transportation infrastructure, but they cannot accept an HSR project that is inadequately assessed, lacks communication, and is tied to large-scale land development being forcibly pushed forward. He mentioned that the government has yet to clearly explain which is better for local development, the direct railway or the HSR, how agricultural land will be handled, who will be expropriated, and how land speculation will be curbed.
Liu Zhongshu called on the Executive Yuan to suspend subsequent procedures before approving the project, demanding that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Railway Bureau, and the Yilan County Government return to a transparent evaluation process, engage in in-depth dialogue with citizens, and simultaneously suspend the subsequent promotion of the specific zone.
Lin Wanggen, a former consultant to the National Development Council, stated that the Beiyi direct railway planning and evaluation took nearly 20 years, but in 2019, it was replaced by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications with the HSR extension to Yilan plan, which cost nearly three times the total budget, reaching NT$400 billion. He pointed out that the HSR plan only sets up one station in the Yilan County Government Center, and the route corridor and HSR specific zone require extensive expropriation of agricultural land, with environmental impact costs far exceeding those of the direct railway. He called for a temporary halt to the Beiyi HSR and the inclusion of the direct railway plan, restarting a complete evaluation and planning process to allow both proposals to be truly examined on the same basis.
In response to the public group's press conference regarding the Control Yuan's investigation opinions on the HSR Yilan extension project, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Railway Bureau stated via message that it respects the Control Yuan's investigation report and oversight opinions, and thanks all sectors for their concern and discussion on major public construction issues.
The Railway Bureau pointed out that since its inception, all stages of the HSR Yilan extension project, including the revision of the feasibility study, comprehensive planning, and environmental impact assessment, have been handled in accordance with relevant laws and administrative procedures, and have continuously been subject to review and supervision by central competent authorities, experts, scholars, and all sectors of society.
The Railway Bureau stated that the HSR Yilan extension is a major national transportation infrastructure project, aiming to strengthen the resilience of eastern external transportation, enhance regional transportation services, and promote balanced national land development. The project is currently still in the Executive Yuan's review process. Moving forward, it will continue to adhere to professional, prudent, and transparent principles, steadily promote the project according to established procedures, and continue to communicate and explain to local communities and all sectors of society.
The HSR Yilan extension project passed the environmental impact assessment committee review in August last year and awaits approval from the Executive Yuan. According to the Railway Bureau's official website, after extending eastward from Nangang Station, the project avoids the Feicui Reservoir catchment area, passes through Xizhi, Pingxi, Shuangxi, Gongliao in New Taipei City, and Toucheng, Jiaoxi in Yilan County, setting up one station in Yilan. The route is approximately 60.6 kilometers long, with the HSR Yilan Station located south of the Yilan County Government Center, and a maintenance base established north of the Lanyang River. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150512
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(Central News Agency reporter Huang Qiaowen, Taipei, 12th) Regarding the High-Speed Rail (HSR) extension project to Yilan, a public group submitted a petition to the Control Yuan last year. Today, in addition to urging a temporary halt to the project, they also revealed the Control Yuan's investigation report, which mentioned procedural flaws and other investigative opinions. The Railway Bureau stated that all stages, including the revision of the feasibility study, comprehensive planning, and environmental impact assessment, have been handled in accordance with the law.
The public group 'Citizen's Help' submitted a petition regarding the HSR Yilan extension project to the Control Yuan in May last year. The Control Yuan launched an investigation, and 'Citizen's Help' held a press conference today to announce the five major aspects covered in the Control Yuan's recently released investigation report.
These include: proceeding with comprehensive planning without first submitting a feasibility study, which is inconsistent with the normal practice for public construction planning; the process of outsourcing comprehensive planning and labor procurement implicitly contains concerns about incomplete existing laws and potential conflicts of interest for planners and evaluators; a significant lack of public participation, public opinion communication, and social dialogue; the large-scale designation of a 420-hectare station-specific zone lacks a theoretical basis, does not align with Yilan County's development needs and national land planning, and carries the risk of excessive conversion of prime agricultural land and expropriation of private land; and the route and station-specific zone were not subjected to individual environmental impact assessments simultaneously, with the former also failing to undergo a policy environmental impact assessment first.
Former Minister of Transportation and Communications, He Chendan, pointed out that this case bypassed the feasibility study, forced its way through environmental assessment, and condoned the developing unit's disregard for resolutions.
'Citizen's Help' stated that the Control Yuan's investigation opinions fully reveal major deficiencies in the HSR Yilan extension project across three core aspects: planning procedures, democratic legitimacy, and environmental assessment. These findings are highly consistent with the problems 'Citizen's Help' has long pointed out since its petition in May 2025. They hope that relevant agencies will truly take the Control Yuan's investigation report seriously and implement improvements item by item according to the opinions.
Huang Jianxing, chairman of 'Citizen's Help,' stated that today's press conference had three major appeals: strengthening public opinion communication, objectively evaluating the Beiyi HSR project, and temporarily suspending the Beiyi HSR project.
Liu Zhongshu, spokesperson for the HSR Yilan Extension Oversight Alliance, stated that Yilan residents have never opposed good transportation infrastructure, but they cannot accept an HSR project that is inadequately assessed, lacks communication, and is tied to large-scale land development being forcibly pushed forward. He mentioned that the government has yet to clearly explain which is better for local development, the direct railway or the HSR, how agricultural land will be handled, who will be expropriated, and how land speculation will be curbed.
Liu Zhongshu called on the Executive Yuan to suspend subsequent procedures before approving the project, demanding that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Railway Bureau, and the Yilan County Government return to a transparent evaluation process, engage in in-depth dialogue with citizens, and simultaneously suspend the subsequent promotion of the specific zone.
Lin Wanggen, a former consultant to the National Development Council, stated that the Beiyi direct railway planning and evaluation took nearly 20 years, but in 2019, it was replaced by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications with the HSR extension to Yilan plan, which cost nearly three times the total budget, reaching NT$400 billion. He pointed out that the HSR plan only sets up one station in the Yilan County Government Center, and the route corridor and HSR specific zone require extensive expropriation of agricultural land, with environmental impact costs far exceeding those of the direct railway. He called for a temporary halt to the Beiyi HSR and the inclusion of the direct railway plan, restarting a complete evaluation and planning process to allow both proposals to be truly examined on the same basis.
In response to the public group's press conference regarding the Control Yuan's investigation opinions on the HSR Yilan extension project, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Railway Bureau stated via message that it respects the Control Yuan's investigation report and oversight opinions, and thanks all sectors for their concern and discussion on major public construction issues.
The Railway Bureau pointed out that since its inception, all stages of the HSR Yilan extension project, including the revision of the feasibility study, comprehensive planning, and environmental impact assessment, have been handled in accordance with relevant laws and administrative procedures, and have continuously been subject to review and supervision by central competent authorities, experts, scholars, and all sectors of society.
The Railway Bureau stated that the HSR Yilan extension is a major national transportation infrastructure project, aiming to strengthen the resilience of eastern external transportation, enhance regional transportation services, and promote balanced national land development. The project is currently still in the Executive Yuan's review process. Moving forward, it will continue to adhere to professional, prudent, and transparent principles, steadily promote the project according to established procedures, and continue to communicate and explain to local communities and all sectors of society.
The HSR Yilan extension project passed the environmental impact assessment committee review in August last year and awaits approval from the Executive Yuan. According to the Railway Bureau's official website, after extending eastward from Nangang Station, the project avoids the Feicui Reservoir catchment area, passes through Xizhi, Pingxi, Shuangxi, Gongliao in New Taipei City, and Toucheng, Jiaoxi in Yilan County, setting up one station in Yilan. The route is approximately 60.6 kilometers long, with the HSR Yilan Station located south of the Yilan County Government Center, and a maintenance base established north of the Lanyang River. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150512
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Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.