Two good ways south. The high speed rail from HSR Taichung Station is the fastest, but Tainan's HSR station is outside the city too, so you have a connection at both ends. Taiwan Railway express trains from Taichung Station take longer and run straight into Tainan Station in the city center.
| Option | Time | Adult fare | From and to |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSR High speed rail | 36 to 54 minutes | NT$650 reserved, NT$630 non-reserved, NT$1,180 business | HSR Taichung Station to HSR Tainan Station |
| TRA Tze-Chiang or Puyuma express | About 1 hour 35 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes | NT$487 | Taichung Station to Tainan Station |
| TRA Local train | About 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes | NT$314 | Taichung Station to Tainan Station |
Door to door, the two are closer than they look: the HSR needs a ride out to the HSR station in Wuri at the start and a connection into Tainan at the end. If you are staying near Taiwan Railway's Taichung Station, an express train can be just as quick overall. → HSR station to the city
Good to know: express train seats are reserved, and some Tze-Chiang trains sell no standing tickets, so book ahead at weekends.
For the Tainan end, Inside Tainan's guide to getting to Tainan explains the connection from Tainan's HSR station into the city.
Carrying on south? The high speed rail continues past Tainan to its last stop, Zuoying, in Kaohsiung, and Inside Kaohsiung explains getting from Zuoying into Kaohsiung.
→ Getting to Taichung · → Taipei to Taichung
Sources
THSR timetable and fare search (weekday of November 4, 2026); Taiwan Railway timetable and fare search (same day). Checked October 2026.