Ever since the idea of a North Link Railway was first put forward in 1947, the government has conducted geological and economic feasibility surveys. The project was always shelved, however, because the enormous funds needed were not available.
早在台灣光復初期，台灣省政府就想要興建北迴鐵路，民國卅六年，曾派隊前往探勘，當時因工程費用龐大而未能實行。但是政府想要興建北迴鐵路的決心，始終不曾動搖，從民國五十二年到六十年間，又陸續前往實地探勘，作經濟調查、地質調查、定線測量及可行性研究等。