Passengers taking the new mass rapid transit system from downtown Taipei to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport will be able to check in at Taipei Main Station when the rail line launches in early 2017.
Check-in services will initially be offered by local carriers China Airlines Co. and EVA Airways Corp., with certain restrictions applying, according to Taoyuan Metro Corp. Passengers with oversized luggage or baggage requiring quarantine inspection will not be able to check in at the rail terminal.
Once the airport MRT line commences operations next year, Taipei will become the fourth city in the Asia-Pacific region to offer in-town check-in, following Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.
Foreign visitors will also be able to apply for sales tax refunds of up to NT$24,000 (US$750) at Taipei Main Station using three kiosks, according to the Customs Administration under the Ministry of Finance.
Costing NT$113.85 billion, the 53-kilometer airport MRT system runs from central Taipei through New Taipei City and ends at Zhongli Station in Taoyuan City, northern Taiwan. A one-way ride on an express train between Taipei and TTIA will take 35 minutes and cost NT$160.
During an inspection Dec. 10, Premier Lin Chuan said the airport MRT spotlights government efforts to enhance Taiwan’s transportation environment and serves as a great example for countries seeking to boost their infrastructure development. The system will also bolster the competitiveness of TTIA while providing convenient and r transportation services for the 9 million residents of Taipei, New Taipei and Taoyuan, he added. (SFC-E)
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