Despite repeated delays in the high-speed railway project, many people remained bullish that the new infrastructure will drive up housing prices, according to a survey released by Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) last week.
The Banciao (板橋) area of Taipei County is expected to become the top beneficiary of the expected property boom, if the nation's long-awaited bullet train commences operation next year, the survey said.
The online survey polled 1,756 people from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11. It showed that 56 percent of respondents are upbeat that the new railway will boost property prices in the neighborhood of stations, while only 26 percent expressed pessimism.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The bullet train has been delayed several times, and this has not had a negative impact on the property market," said Liao Yung-sheng (廖永勝), president of Evertrust Rehouse Group (永慶房仲集團), a major real estate agent.
Rising people traffic around stations after the bullet train commences operation is expected to spur commercial opportunities and property development, Liao said.
"The outlook for housing markets around high-speed railway stations is very promising," he said.
The neighborhood surrounding Banciao station, a key hub incorporating stations for three major transportation systems -- the bullet train, the underground rapid transit system and the conventional railway -- is the area that could see the biggest upside potential, the survey said, citing votes by 31 percent of respondents.
The massive flow of people is expected to stimulate the construction of department stores, upscale residences and high-end commercial real estate that will bolster property prices throughout the area, Liao said.
The survey also showed that Wujih (
Wujih was favored because it could also serve flights to China at some point in the future, the survey said. It also boasts pleasant weather and a spacious living environment compared with other places, the report added.
The survey also said Lioujia ranked high because it is close to Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), the nation's No. 1 technology park.
However, up to 61 percent of people surveyed were skeptical that the launch of the high-speed railway would encourage people to commute between the north and south everyday, due to high fares and a lack of shuttle systems to and from the stations.
More than 50 percent of people think fares should be kept under NT$1,000 per single trip between Taipei and Kaohsiung, the survey said.
The rail project contractor, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (
‘SWASTICAR’: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close association with Donald Trump has prompted opponents to brand him a ‘Nazi’ and resulted in a dramatic drop in sales Demonstrators descended on Tesla Inc dealerships across the US, and in Europe and Canada on Saturday to protest company chief Elon Musk, who has amassed extraordinary power as a top adviser to US President Donald Trump. Waving signs with messages such as “Musk is stealing our money” and “Reclaim our country,” the protests largely took place peacefully following fiery episodes of vandalism on Tesla vehicles, dealerships and other facilities in recent weeks that US officials have denounced as terrorism. Hundreds rallied on Saturday outside the Tesla dealership in Manhattan. Some blasted Musk, the world’s richest man, while others demanded the shuttering of his
ADVERSARIES: The new list includes 11 entities in China and one in Taiwan, which is a local branch of Chinese cloud computing firm Inspur Group The US added dozens of entities to a trade blacklist on Tuesday, the US Department of Commerce said, in part to disrupt Beijing’s artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing capabilities. The action affects 80 entities from countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, with the commerce department citing their “activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy.” Those added to the “entity list” are restricted from obtaining US items and technologies without government authorization. “We will not allow adversaries to exploit American technology to bolster their own militaries and threaten American lives,” US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said. The entities
Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) yesterday told lawmakers that she “would not speculate,” but a “response plan” has been prepared in case Taiwan is targeted by US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, which are to be announced on Wednesday next week. The Trump administration, including US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, has said that much of the proposed reciprocal tariffs would focus on the 15 countries that have the highest trade surpluses with the US. Bessent has referred to those countries as the “dirty 15,” but has not named them. Last year, Taiwan’s US$73.9 billion trade surplus with the US
Taiwan’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) last month rose 0.2 percentage points to 54.2, in a second consecutive month of expansion, thanks to front-loading demand intended to avoid potential US tariff hikes, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) said yesterday. While short-term demand appeared robust, uncertainties rose due to US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policy, CIER president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) told a news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s economy this year would be characterized by high-level fluctuations and the volatility would be wilder than most expect, Lien said Demand for electronics, particularly semiconductors, continues to benefit from US technology giants’ effort
RSS