Taiwan Today

Taipei City’s long-awaited Neihu mass rapid transport line will open July 4, according to Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin. Hau said June 16 that the Neihu Line will extend the MRT network by 14.8 kilometers. Its addition means the network now reaches all of Taipei’s 12 administrative districts. Between July 4 and 6, EasyCard holders will receive a 50-percent discount for all trips on the new line at an estimated cost of NT$20.7 million (US$629,466) in lost fare revenue. In addition, the government will hand out coupons June 29 for free rides to around 25,000 people living near stations along the line. A journey from Taipei Main Station to Songshan Airport will be just 12 minutes, with a trip from Jiannan Station in Dazhi to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station taking the same time—a considerable reduction for those attempting to reach Taipei’s East District from Neihu. The line is also expected to relieve traffic in and around Neihu Technology Park. Hau said the Neihu Line was originally scheduled to open at the end of June, but works to integrate it with the Muzha Line meant that trains could only have commenced running from 9 a.m. Out of consideration for students taking their college-entry tests July 1, the decision to wait until July 4 was taken. As Nangang Station, the easternmost stop on the extended Bannan Line, will not be linked to Neihu Line’s Nangang Exhibition Hall Station after services commence, the city government will provide a free bus service to connect the two lines. The Neihu Line—a medium-capacity transit system—is the final stage in the city’s initial MRT network construction phase. Connecting with the Muzha Line, it extends northward from Zhongshan Junior High School Station to Songshan Airport and on to Dazhi, before heading east to Xihu, Neihu and Donghu. There are a total of 12 metro stations as well as one terminal stop on the line. (TG-JSM)