Taipei Metro and Road Network, Taiwan

The Taiwanese city of Taipei has a rapidly growing population of over 6.8 million people. The city has a well-developed metro system, the first line (Mucha Line, 11km) of which entered service in 1996. The metro project has been managed since 1987 by the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS). The metro is operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) a city government body set up in 1994. Since 1996 four other metro lines have been opened: Tamshui (23km), Chungo (5.5km), Hsintien (10.5km), Hsiao Hsimen (1.6km branch) and Pannan (28km). The TRTC hopes to construct over 100km of new metro line to serve the surburban areas of Taipei City by 2021. The Taiwanese mainline railway system was first constructed over 110 years ago; the business is owned by Taiwan Government and operated by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA). Due to the age of the railway system much of the infrastructure requires upgrading and several major projects are underway to improve the infrastructure and safety levels and to allow high-speed travel between Taiwanese cities (Taiwan High Speed Rail). Similarly, the intercity road network is being upgraded and refurbished to allow quicker journeys, encourage tourism and promote economic growth.

TAIPEI METRO RAPID TRANSIT NETWORK

The initial metro system was constructed over a period of four years from 1996 to 2000. In a short space of time the capital city of Taiwan, Taipei, has developed a network of four underground metro lines and one automated elevated light rail metro line (Mucha Line). The budget for the entire project is $18 billion; central Government are providing $9 billion, Taipei City Government are providing $6.5 billion and Taiwan Provincial Government $2.5 billion. The budget is controlled by DORTS. The TRTC was allocated NT$441.8 billion at the start of 2001 to continue the network and in 2003 there are eight projects underway.

METRO PROJECTS

The first project is a small branch line project involving an extension of the Green Line (Hsintien Line) to Hsiao Pitan station and this is scheduled to open 30 September 2004. The Blue Line (Pannan Line, Line 3) is undergoing several extensions with construction from Hsinpu towards the southwest. The Tucheng extension (part of the Blue Line project) is to Yungning and is scheduled to open on 30 Aug 2006. Further back from the original terminus of the Blue Line, Hsinpu, the new section to Panchiao, Fuchung and Nantze has been delayed due to safety issues and will now not open until August 2006, the projected date for the entire extension (12.6km, nine stations). At the other terminus of the Blue Line the Nankang extension towards the east, which will be 2.5km and encompass two new stations, will share an underground tunnel with Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways. This extension will be opened in two phases; the Kunyang to Nankang section will open in December 2008 while the Nankang to Nankang Business Park South extension will open two years later in December 2010.

The Neihu Line is to be an extension of the Mucha Line, toward Taipei's domestic airport (Sungshan Airport) and then via Neihu and Tunghu to eventually intersect with the Blue Line at Nankang Business Park South. The extension will be 14.8km long and have 12 new stations. The Nankang Business Park South to Chiannan Road section is projected to open in February 2008, while the Chiannan Road to Chungshan Jr. High School section that completes the project should open in mid-2008.

The Hsinchuang Line is to be an extension of the Chungho Line (Orange Line, Line 2) through the city, originating from Kuting Station, heading north and then west intersecting with the Tamshui Line (Green Line, Line1) at Minchuan West Road station. The line will then head southwest toward Sanchung and Hsinchuang. The extension will be underground for 19.7km and have 16 stations and a maintenance depot, most of which is due to open in 2009. The Chunghsiao Hsinsheng to Tungmen section is due to open in December 2010. The Tungmen to Kuting section that completes the line has been delayed and a completion date has not been provided.

A branch of the Hsinchuang Line, the Luchou Branch Line will be constructed heading northwest to Luchou via four stations serving various schools. The line will run for 6.4km underground and encompass five stations and a maintenance depot at the terminus; this is due to be completed by 2009.

In July 2003 the Taiwan Government formulated a development plan to funnel NT$300 billion ($8.73 billion) into public projects over the next three years. Two thirds of this capital is to be spent on transportation. In doing this the Government hopes to revitalise the economy. The Orbital Line, which was until recently only in the planning stages, is to receive funds and be constructed. The new line will be a near circular peripheral line that will intersect every current line and also line extensions under construction. The line will serve the suburban areas of Taipei City; it is currently planned to run VAL type trains on elevated rails and continue for 34.8km through 31 stations. A completion date has not yet been proposed.

LONG TERM PROJECTS IN PLANNING STAGE

The Sungshan Line, an extension of the Hsintien (Line 1) and Hsimen (Line 6) lines, will run towards the north then east through the city for 8.5km having eight stations (five new stations). This project will allow transfers to the Nankang, Tamshui, Hsinchuang and Mucha Lines.

The Sanying Line is planned as a further extension of Tucheng Line (Line 3) to the southwest of the city to link Sanhsia and Yingke with the current network.

The Hsiyi Line will be an extension of Tamshui Line (Line 2) towards the east and through the city running for 6.4km and having seven stations including the World Trade Centre station, which is under construction and should be completed by 2009. However the rest of the line is not yet under construction due to engineering problems and safety concerns.

A light rail line to Ankeng is proposed. The route has not yet been decided and the whole project is still undergoing the feasibility study stage.

The Shezi Line system will consist of two crossed light rail lines, one running east/west and one running north/south, in the Shezi area near the Tamshui Line. The east/west line will be 8.5km long and have 11 stations and one maintenance depot, while the north/south line will be 8.7km long and have nine stations and one sub-maintenance depot.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS FOR NEW LINES

The electrical systems for the expansion of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system will be carried out by Alstom Transport, a French company, and CTCI, a Taiwanese engineering company. The contract worth NT$15 billion was awarded in October 2003. Alstom had previously built and installed all the signalling equipment for the original system (with the exception of the Mucha Line). The contract will involve the construction and installation of all the signalling, electrical power supplies and powered rails. Alstom will install the signalling systems while CCTI will install the power supplies. CCTI is to subcontract some parts of the project including rail installation to other Taiwanese companies.

TECHNOLOGY OF THE METRO

The tunnels are mostly constructed by the cut and cover method, since the geology of the Taipei area precludes conventional tunnelling. Much of the network has 1,435mm track using a third rail current collection system at 750V DC. The system has computerised fare collection systems, automatic ticket vending machines, automatic gates and magnetic tickets. All these systems were introduced to speed access to the platforms because of anticipated high passenger volumes. The metro cars for the initial network were built in the United States by Nissho Iwai American Corporation and Kawasaki Rolling Stock. The metro cars for the new lines and extensions are being built by Siemens, SGP and Union Carriage. The Mucha line is elevated and has a different specification; the cars are run by Automatic Guide Transit (AGT). The cars are VAL 256 medium capacity trains, which have rubber tyres and were manufactured by Matra, a French company.

PEIYI EXPRESSWAY

This new highway is to link the county of Ilan in northeastern Taiwan to the metropolitan area of Taipei. As of September 2003 the project was reported as being 85% complete. The expressway is to be 31km long through extremely difficult terrain involving a great deal of tunnel boring. The expressway should significantly shorten the travelling time between the two cities from the present two hours to just 40 minutes and is due to be complete and in use by the end of 2005.

Construction began in 1991 and has been plagued with engineering problems, particularly due to the geology of the region, which is unsuited to the boring of tunnels. The latest tunnelling phase, the Shueishan Tunnel (Mount Snow), has had many problems with water formation inside tunnels and mudslides. The 12.9km Shueishan Tunnel is due to be finished by September 2004. Taiwan Area National Expressway Engineering Bureau (NEEB), under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, is responsible for the project and has stated that no insurance company has been willing to provide safety coverage for the project. The Shueishan Tunnel is known as the 'tunnel beneath troubled waters' because of the engineering problems and it is the centrepiece of the Peiyi Freeway project.

Click here for printable version