Taipei Railway Underground Project
Encyclopedia
The Taipei Railway Underground Project is an on-going project in the Republic of China
(Taiwan) capital Taipei
to remove surface railway facilities, replacing them with a 22.5 kilometres (14 mi) tunnel and new facilities outside the city limits. The underground section includes separate tunnels for the Cape gauge
tracks of national rail carrier Taiwan Railway Administration
's (TRA) Western Line and for the Standard gauge
tracks of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC). All stations on the section are rebuilt as multi-level complexes, which also function as transport hubs, with underground platforms for TRA and THSRC trains, and new stations of the Taipei Metro at deeper levels.
, tasked the Taipei Railway Underground Project Organisation (TRUPO) with the project to rebuild railway facilities.
The first phase of the project was the complete reconstruction of Taipei Main Station as a multi-level building, with train platforms placed underground along with adjacent tracks. Work on the 4.42 km (2.7 mi) section between Huashan and Wanhua began in July 1983, and was completed after NT$
17.792 billion spent in September 1989.
north and south tunnels, preparation was made for Taiwan High Speed Rail
, the planned high-speed line to Kaohsiung
. The eastward extension, the Songshan Project, added 5.33 km (3.3 mi) to Songshan
. The project cost NT$27.48 billion, and was in construction from July 1989 until June 1994. On the surface, the space won was used for the construction of the elevated Civic Blvd Expressway
, which opened in September 1997.
The westward extension, the Wanhua–Banciao Project, added 7.18 km (4.5 mi) to the four-track tunnel section, on a new alignment with the newly built Wanhua Station
and the rebuilt Banciao Station
along it. The total project length was 15.38 km (9.6 mi), which included the upgrade of TRA's surface tracks, and a new Shulin Coach Yard at the end of the upgraded section, built to maintain TRA's electric multiple unit
(EMU) and diesel multiple unit
(DMU) fleet. Work started in September 1992, and TRA began to use the underground tracks in the north tunnel in July 1999.
The extensions also include emergency stations, where passengers can be evacuated in case of fire. The stations and emergency stations were fitted with a smoke suppression system that was tested with simulations and a live evacuation trial in Wanhua Station.
The first 14 km (8.7 mi) of the south tunnel and its exit forms an altogether 15.8 km (9.8 mi) section of the THSR. Civil works were the responsibility of TRUPO.
When work started on the south tunnel, TRA's management was concerned that TRA's capacity would be limited during construction. TRA was to give up the tracks and some station platforms without receiving a compensation or rent
. Rail union
s said that this arrangement would result in a reduction of TRA services by more than a fourth, and a loss of income and jobs, and organised a protest rally in March 2002, after which the Ministry of Transport agreed to re-negotiate the TRA–THSRC contract. The cancellation of some TRA train services resulting from the final station platform lease agreement led to another union protest and threat of strike action
in February 2003. Unions continued to protest the TRA–THSRC agreement, accusing the government of having favoured THSRC. Civil works in the south tunnel were completed in April 2003.
After the completion of track construction, the western end of the south tunnel went into service on January 5, 2007, when THSRC's high-speed trains began to run between Taipei and Kaohsiung with Banqiao as the Taipei terminus. The service was extended to Taipei Main Station on March 2, 2007. The end of the completed 4.9 km (3 mi) track section east of Taipei was put into use as the Songshan Temporary Facility, for servicing the trains.
s. East of Nangang along TRA's Western Line, the project also includes a short mountain tunnel and a 5 km (3.1 mi) elevated section. Wudu Freight Yard, near Wudu Station, and Qidu Marshalling Yard, next to Qidu Station, replaces facilities dissolved at Songshan Station. The entire length of the TRA part of the Nangang Project is 19.585 km (12.2 mi) between Songshan and Qidu, and was to be completed in August 2011. Construction was officially completed on October 23, 2011 and began service the following day on October 24, 2011. As a separate NT$10 billion project, in March 2009, TRA also began building a new depot at Fugang, Taoyuan County, to replace its Songshan Depot, which was reached crossing THSRC's tracks.
Approaching Nangang Station from the west, THSRC's south tunnel swings above TRA's north tunnel, to connect to different levels of Nangang Station. East of Nangang Station, THSR tracks swing to the right, towards THSRC's planned Xizhi Depot. The THSR level of Nangang Station is under construction for an October 2012 opening.
With the railroad moved underground in the Songshan-Nangang area, a new 4.7 km (2.9 mi) road was created aboveground running from Keelung Road
to Nangang Station
. An online ballot was created to let citizens vote on the name of the new road, scheduled to open in October 2011.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan) capital Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
to remove surface railway facilities, replacing them with a 22.5 kilometres (14 mi) tunnel and new facilities outside the city limits. The underground section includes separate tunnels for the Cape gauge
Cape gauge
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
tracks of national rail carrier Taiwan Railway Administration
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
's (TRA) Western Line and for the Standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tracks of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC). All stations on the section are rebuilt as multi-level complexes, which also function as transport hubs, with underground platforms for TRA and THSRC trains, and new stations of the Taipei Metro at deeper levels.
First phase
In the early 1980s, railway facilities in central Taipei were seen as obstacles to rail traffic and local development, and were seen as bad for the city's appearance. Therefore, the executive branch of Taiwan's government, the Executive YuanExecutive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
, tasked the Taipei Railway Underground Project Organisation (TRUPO) with the project to rebuild railway facilities.
The first phase of the project was the complete reconstruction of Taipei Main Station as a multi-level building, with train platforms placed underground along with adjacent tracks. Work on the 4.42 km (2.7 mi) section between Huashan and Wanhua began in July 1983, and was completed after NT$
New Taiwan dollar
The New Taiwan dollar , or simply Taiwan dollar, is the official currency of the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar...
17.792 billion spent in September 1989.
Second phase
In the nineties, the tunnel was extended both eastward and westward, and with separate double trackDouble track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
north and south tunnels, preparation was made for Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
, the planned high-speed line to Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
. The eastward extension, the Songshan Project, added 5.33 km (3.3 mi) to Songshan
Songshan Station
Songshan Station is a train station in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is served by the Taiwan Railway Administration and will become a terminal station of the Taipei Metro Songshan Line when opens for service in 2013.-Station overview:...
. The project cost NT$27.48 billion, and was in construction from July 1989 until June 1994. On the surface, the space won was used for the construction of the elevated Civic Blvd Expressway
Civic Blvd Expressway
The Civic Blvd. Expressway is a 4 to 6-lane highway located in Taipei, Taiwan. It was completed in 1997 as part of a multi-modal reconstruction project to improve transportation networks in congested central Taipei...
, which opened in September 1997.
The westward extension, the Wanhua–Banciao Project, added 7.18 km (4.5 mi) to the four-track tunnel section, on a new alignment with the newly built Wanhua Station
Wanhua Station
Wanhua Station is a Taiwan Railway Administration station located in Wanhua, Taipei, Taiwan.-Overview:The station is divided into east and west buildings. The station entrance, lobby, and ticket counters are located in the west building. The station exit, parcel center, and offices are located in...
and the rebuilt Banciao Station
Banqiao Station
Banqiao Station or Banciao Station is a train station located in Banqiao District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station serves high-speed rail, conventional rail, and metro trains...
along it. The total project length was 15.38 km (9.6 mi), which included the upgrade of TRA's surface tracks, and a new Shulin Coach Yard at the end of the upgraded section, built to maintain TRA's electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU) and diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
(DMU) fleet. Work started in September 1992, and TRA began to use the underground tracks in the north tunnel in July 1999.
The extensions also include emergency stations, where passengers can be evacuated in case of fire. The stations and emergency stations were fitted with a smoke suppression system that was tested with simulations and a live evacuation trial in Wanhua Station.
The first 14 km (8.7 mi) of the south tunnel and its exit forms an altogether 15.8 km (9.8 mi) section of the THSR. Civil works were the responsibility of TRUPO.
When work started on the south tunnel, TRA's management was concerned that TRA's capacity would be limited during construction. TRA was to give up the tracks and some station platforms without receiving a compensation or rent
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
. Rail union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s said that this arrangement would result in a reduction of TRA services by more than a fourth, and a loss of income and jobs, and organised a protest rally in March 2002, after which the Ministry of Transport agreed to re-negotiate the TRA–THSRC contract. The cancellation of some TRA train services resulting from the final station platform lease agreement led to another union protest and threat of strike action
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in February 2003. Unions continued to protest the TRA–THSRC agreement, accusing the government of having favoured THSRC. Civil works in the south tunnel were completed in April 2003.
After the completion of track construction, the western end of the south tunnel went into service on January 5, 2007, when THSRC's high-speed trains began to run between Taipei and Kaohsiung with Banqiao as the Taipei terminus. The service was extended to Taipei Main Station on March 2, 2007. The end of the completed 4.9 km (3 mi) track section east of Taipei was put into use as the Songshan Temporary Facility, for servicing the trains.
Third phase
The NT$83.069 billion Nangang Project completes the Taipei Railway Underground Project with a 5.4 km (3.4 mi) eastward extension of the tunnel, including the rebuilt Songshan and Nangang StationNangang Station
Nangang Station is a major train station located in Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan, parallel to Zhongxiao East Road. The station serves several modes of public transportation, including the bus system, Taiwan Railway Administration, and Taipei Metro...
s. East of Nangang along TRA's Western Line, the project also includes a short mountain tunnel and a 5 km (3.1 mi) elevated section. Wudu Freight Yard, near Wudu Station, and Qidu Marshalling Yard, next to Qidu Station, replaces facilities dissolved at Songshan Station. The entire length of the TRA part of the Nangang Project is 19.585 km (12.2 mi) between Songshan and Qidu, and was to be completed in August 2011. Construction was officially completed on October 23, 2011 and began service the following day on October 24, 2011. As a separate NT$10 billion project, in March 2009, TRA also began building a new depot at Fugang, Taoyuan County, to replace its Songshan Depot, which was reached crossing THSRC's tracks.
Approaching Nangang Station from the west, THSRC's south tunnel swings above TRA's north tunnel, to connect to different levels of Nangang Station. East of Nangang Station, THSR tracks swing to the right, towards THSRC's planned Xizhi Depot. The THSR level of Nangang Station is under construction for an October 2012 opening.
With the railroad moved underground in the Songshan-Nangang area, a new 4.7 km (2.9 mi) road was created aboveground running from Keelung Road
Keelung Road
Keelung Road is a major arterial and highway in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Neihu district from the MacAuthur 1st Bridge in the east with the Songshan, Xinyi, and Daan districts towards the southwest, with a connection to Yonghe City via the Fuhe Bridge...
to Nangang Station
Nangang Station
Nangang Station is a major train station located in Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan, parallel to Zhongxiao East Road. The station serves several modes of public transportation, including the bus system, Taiwan Railway Administration, and Taipei Metro...
. An online ballot was created to let citizens vote on the name of the new road, scheduled to open in October 2011.