Express train service that connects Xinzuoying Station, the major hub for both Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways Administration trains, to Hengchun is also planned.

In 1876, the Governor of Fujian Province Ding Ri-chang (zh) proposed a railway line running from Keelung to Hengchun, and under a 1924 plan proposed during Japanese rule, the Hengchun Line was planned to branch off from the Pingtung line, however that plan was shelved in 1927 due to budgetary constraints.

Also, the washing away of several bridges of Provincial Highway 1 during Typhoon Haitang in 2005 further highlighted the importance of the need for the Hengchun Line.

After further lobbying from Hengchun residents, the MOTC conducted a revised feasibility study in 2014, this time including express service using TRA rolling stock from Xinzuoying Station to Hengchun Station.

A branch line leading to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium is currently under discussion.