Taiwan Railway To Ban Political Advertisements At Stations from 2027

Taiwan Railway Corp. (TR) has announced plans to prohibit political and election-related advertisements at its railway stations from January 1, 2027, following public criticism over concerns about administrative neutrality.

The state-owned railway operator disclosed the decision on Monday, October 19, after a social media post drew attention to a campaign poster for Kuomintang (KMT) Yunlin County magistrate candidate Chang Chia-chun displayed near the ticket gates at Douliu Railway Station.

The post, shared on Threads last week, questioned why political advertisements were permitted at the station despite existing restrictions on the use of railway facilities for political activities, including campaign rallies.

The controversy sparked debate over whether the company’s rules governing political activities should also cover election-related advertisements displayed in station premises.

In response, Taiwan Railway explained that interpretations by the Central Election Commission and the Ministry of Civil Service classify advertising spaces leased to third parties at its stations as commercial rental arrangements. As a result, such advertisements do not violate existing administrative neutrality regulations.

The company added that it had maintained oversight of political advertisements by requiring fair treatment of candidates across political parties and imposing restrictions on advertisement sizes.

However, Taiwan Railway said it had decided to discontinue the rental of advertising spaces for political and election-related purposes in response to public concerns and as part of its commitment to maintaining administrative neutrality.

The new policy will take effect on January 1, 2027, while political advertisements already displayed at its stations will not be affected by the change.

The announcement comes ahead of Taiwan’s local elections scheduled for November 28, 2026, when voters will elect local government officials across the island.

The policy is expected to prevent similar controversies over political advertising in railway stations in the future.