The first phase of the underground station at Nangang opened in September 2008, when Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) transferred its services from the former surface station. The relocation of the station was part of TRA's Taipei Railway Underground project, which has replaced the former surface alignment though central Taipei with a 22.5km tunnel.

In December 2008 Nangang station joined the Taipei metro network with the opening of the eastern extension of metro Line 5 from Kunyang. A further extension from Nangang to Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre opened in February 2011.

All high-speed services now originate or terminate at Nangang, with a three-minute stop at Taipei Railway Station.

The fastest journey time between Nangang and the high-speed line's southern terminus at Zuoying in Kaohsiung is 1h 45min and the first train of the day from both stations has been retimed to depart at 06.15 instead of 06.30.

With the opening of the extension, THSRC also reduced the number of services it operates from 969 to 943 a week due to low occupancy rates on some off-peak trains. However, with the revised timetable the number of trains serving Banqiao, Taichung and Tainan stations has increased from 252 to 292 a week.