The construction of a new main station for Kaohsiung will start next February, marking major progress in a project to put the city's railway underground, the Railway Reconstruction Bureau (RRB) said Tuesday. The 'three-in-one' Kaohsiung Main Station, which will serve the regular railway, the mass rapid transit system, and possibly the high speed railway, is scheduled to start operating by the end of 2017 and is expected to breathe new life into communities along the existing rail corridor and surrounding areas. 'The new station will become the gateway of the Kaohsiung metropolitan area and showcase its image as a port city, ' said Chou Yung-hui, deputy director-general of the RRB. Puttint the railway underground will greatly reduce traffic congestion caused by the five existing level crossings and 13 overpasses, he said. So far, 37 percent of the NT$82.2 billion (US$2.6 billion) project has been completed. According to the RRB, the 13-kilometer underground railway will serve six new stations in addition to the two major stations of Kaohsiung and Zuoying. These stations together will enhance local express services, increase rail transport capacity and provide better connections along the north-south corridor of the largest city in southern Taiwan with a population of over 1.5 million. 