Taipei Rapid Transit System
Encyclopedia
The Taipei Metro, more commonly known as the MRT or formally as the Taipei Rapid Transit System, is a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 system serving metropolitan Taipei in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. The system is built and operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) and consists of 89 stations and 101.9 km (63.3 mi) of revenue track. The system carried an average of over 1.6 million passengers per day in December 2010.

The Taipei Metro is Taiwan's first metro system. Since it first began operations in 1996, the system has been effective in relieving some of 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...

's traffic congestion problems. The system has also proved effective as a catalyst for urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...

, as well as increasing tourist traffic to outlying cities such as Tamsui. Conversions to existing railway
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...

 lines were made to integrate them into the metro system.

Network and operations

The system operates according to a spoke-hub distribution paradigm
Spoke-hub distribution paradigm
The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel, in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center...

, with most rail lines running radially outward from central Taipei. The MRT system operates from 6 am to midnight daily, with extended services during special events (such as New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....

 festivities). Trains operate at intervals of 1.5 to 15 minutes depending on the line and time of day.
Smoking is forbidden in the entire metro system, while eating, drinking, chewing gum, and betel nuts are forbidden within the yellow line of each station.

Stations become extremely crowded during rush hours, especially at transfer stations such as Taipei Main Station, Zhongxiao Fuxing
Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

, and Minquan West Road
Minquan West Road Station
The Taipei Metro Minquan W. Rd. Station is located in between the Zhongshan and Datong districts of Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Tamsui Line and the Xinzhuang Line.-Station overview:...

. Automated station announcements are recorded in Mandarin
Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese Mandarin is a variant of Mandarin derived from the official Standard Mandarin spoken in Taiwan Area of the Republic of China . The latter's standard lect is known in Taiwan as 國語 , based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect together with the grammar of Vernacular Chinese...

, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....

.

Lines

LineOpening Date|TerminiStationsLength (km)Depot
Brown Neihu
Neihu Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Neihu Line is a medium-capacity rapid transit system and runs on an elevated corridor except near Songshan Airport and Dazhi. The line's service length is and it is joined to the Wenshan Line at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, providing direct service through Neihu, Nangang,...

Jul. 4, 2009 Taipei Nangang
Exhibition Center
Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

Zhongshan Junior
High School
Zhongshan Junior High School Station
Zhongshan Junior High School Station is a station on the Wenshan Line of the Taipei Metro, located on the border between the Zhongshan and Songshan districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

12 14.8 Neihu
Muzha
Wenshan Mar. 28, 1996 Zhongshan Junior
High School
Zhongshan Junior High School Station
Zhongshan Junior High School Station is a station on the Wenshan Line of the Taipei Metro, located on the border between the Zhongshan and Songshan districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

12 10.9
Red
Red Line (TRTS)
The Red Line comprises three lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System: the Tamsui Line , the Xinbeitou Branch Line, and the Xinyi Line. When completed, it will include a total of 30 stations serving the Tamsui, Beitou, Shilin, Datong, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Daan, and Xinyi districts, stretching...

Tamsui Dec. 25, 1997 Tamsui CKS Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

20 23.2 Beitou
Xinbeitou Branch Dec. 25, 1997 Beitou
Beitou Station
The Taipei Metro Beitou Station is a station on Red Line , located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of station can be traced back the same name station of the now-defunct TRA Tamsui Line and Xinbeitou Line.-Station overview:The station is an elevated structure with one island...

Xinbeitou
Xinbeitou Station
The Taipei Metro Xinbeitou Station is the terminal station on the Xinbeitou Branch Line located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of the station used to be the terminal station for the now-defunct TRA Xinbeitou Line.-Station overview:...

1 1.2
Orange
Orange Line (TRTS)
The Orange Line consists of three lines of the Taipei Metro in Taiwan : the Zhonghe Line , the Xinzhuang Line, and the Luzhou Line . As of July 2011, two segments of the Xinzhuang Line are still under construction and are expected to completely open by 2014...

Zhonghe
Zhonghe Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Zhonghe Line is a high-capacity, underground line and is part of the Orange Line. The 5.4 km route has 5 stations and runs from Nanshijiao and passes beneath the Xindian River into Taipei and terminates on the Xindian Line at Guting....

Dec. 25, 1998 Nanshijiao
Nanshijiao Station
The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

4 5.4 Zhonghe
Xinzhuang
Xinzhuang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line on the Taipei Metro currently under construction in Taiwan. As of September 2010, it is 91.81% complete...

Nov. 3, 2010 Zhongxiao Xinsheng
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

Daqiaotou 6 5.2 Luzhou
Luzhou Daqiaotou Luzhou
Luzhou Station
The Taipei Metro Luzhou Station is the terminal station on the Luzhou Line, located in Luzhou, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station is located at the intersection of Sanmin Road and Zhongzheng Road and opened on November 03, 2010...

5 6.4
Green
Green Line (TRTS)
The Green Line is four lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System, the Songshan Line, the Xiaonammen Line, the Xindian Line, and the Xiaobitan Branch Line. With the completion of the Songshan Line in 2013, trains currently travelling from Xindian onto the Tamsui Line will be switched onto the...

Xiaonanmen Aug. 31, 2000 Ximen
Ximen Station
The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

CKS Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

1 1.6 Xindian
Xindian
Xindian Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xindian Line is an underground high-capacity line. The -route has 10 stations and is part of the Green Line. The line follows the route of the former TRA Xindian Line, which ceased service in 1965...

Nov. 11, 1999 CKS Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

Xindian
Xindian Station
The Taipei Metro Xindian Station is the southern terminus of the Xindian Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

11 9.3
Xiaobitan Branch
Xiaobitan Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian (Sindian) Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of...

Sep. 29, 2004 Qizhang
Qizhang Station
The Taipei Metro Qizhang Station is a station on the Xindian Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer and terminus of the Xiaobitan Branch Line.-Station overview:...

Xiaobitan
Xiaobitan Station
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Station is a terminal station on the Xiaobitan Branch Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

1 1.9
Blue
Blue Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Blue Line is a high-capacity rapid transit line comprises three lines: the Nangang Line, the Banqiao Line, and the Tucheng Line. The lines are divided at Ximen Station and Fuzhong Station, and offer through traffic to one another...

Nangang Eastern
Extension
Nangang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Nangang Line is a high-capacity, underground rapid transit line on the Taipei Metro in Taipei, Taiwan. It has 12 stations, is -long and runs east-west through downtown starting in Zhongzheng and ending in Nangang, Taipei...

Dec. 25, 2008
Feb. 27, 2011
Taipei Nangang
Exhibition Center
Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

Kunyang
Kunyang Station
Kunyang Station is a station on the Nangang Line of the Taipei Metro, located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:Kunyang Station is a two-story, underground station with one island platform and four exits...

2 2.5 Nangang
Tucheng
Nangang
Nangang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Nangang Line is a high-capacity, underground rapid transit line on the Taipei Metro in Taipei, Taiwan. It has 12 stations, is -long and runs east-west through downtown starting in Zhongzheng and ending in Nangang, Taipei...


Banqiao
Banqiao Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Banqiao Line is a high-capacity underground line and is a major transportation route between Taipei and New Taipei. It runs from Ximen in western Taipei to Fuzhong in eastern Taipei, consisting of 6 stations and 7.2 km of track...


(Bannan)
Dec. 29, 2000 Kunyang
Kunyang Station
Kunyang Station is a station on the Nangang Line of the Taipei Metro, located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:Kunyang Station is a two-story, underground station with one island platform and four exits...

Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

3 2.8
Dec. 24, 1999 Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple Station
The Taipei Metro Longshan Temple Station is a station on the Banqiao Line in Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan. The station is named for the nearby Longshan Temple, a famous Taipei landmark.-Station overview:...

9 7.5
Aug. 31, 2000 Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple Station
The Taipei Metro Longshan Temple Station is a station on the Banqiao Line in Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan. The station is named for the nearby Longshan Temple, a famous Taipei landmark.-Station overview:...

Xinpu
Xinpu Station
Taipei Metro Xinpu Station is a station on the Banqiao Line located in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station has an island platform and four exits...

2 3.6
Banqiao
Banqiao Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Banqiao Line is a high-capacity underground line and is a major transportation route between Taipei and New Taipei. It runs from Ximen in western Taipei to Fuzhong in eastern Taipei, consisting of 6 stations and 7.2 km of track...


Tucheng
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

May 31, 2006 Xinpu
Xinpu Station
Taipei Metro Xinpu Station is a station on the Banqiao Line located in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station has an island platform and four exits...

Yongning
Yongning Station
The Taipei Metro Yongning Station is the current terminal station of the Tucheng Line located in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

6 5.5

Note: Tamsui was previously known as Danshui.


Train operating routes

  • Nangang, Banqiao, and Tucheng Lines connect through to each other. Service routes are divided into [Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center
    Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
    The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

    - Yongning
    Yongning Station
    The Taipei Metro Yongning Station is the current terminal station of the Tucheng Line located in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

    ]
    and [Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center
    Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
    The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

    - Far Eastern Hospital
    Far Eastern Hospital Station
    The Taipei Metro Far Eastern Hospital Station is a station on the Tucheng Line located in Banqiao District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:The station features an underground island platform and three exits...

    ]
    . During rush hour, trials are being run on a [Zhongxiao Fuxing
    Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
    The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

    - Far Eastern Hospital
    Far Eastern Hospital Station
    The Taipei Metro Far Eastern Hospital Station is a station on the Tucheng Line located in Banqiao District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:The station features an underground island platform and three exits...

    ]
    route.
  • Although part of the Orange Line, the Xinzhuang and Luzhou Lines currently run on a separate route: [Zhongxiao Xinsheng
    Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
    The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

    - Luzhou
    Luzhou Station
    The Taipei Metro Luzhou Station is the terminal station on the Luzhou Line, located in Luzhou, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station is located at the intersection of Sanmin Road and Zhongzheng Road and opened on November 03, 2010...

    ]
  • Tamsui and Xindian Lines connect through to each other: [Tamsui - Xindian
    Xindian Station
    The Taipei Metro Xindian Station is the southern terminus of the Xindian Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

    ]
    .
  • Tamsui and Zhonghe Lines connect through to each other: [Beitou
    Beitou Station
    The Taipei Metro Beitou Station is a station on Red Line , located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of station can be traced back the same name station of the now-defunct TRA Tamsui Line and Xinbeitou Line.-Station overview:The station is an elevated structure with one island...

    - Nanshijiao
    Nanshijiao Station
    The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

    ]
    . After 11 PM, the route is shortened to [Taipei Main Station
    Taipei Main Station
    Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

    - Nanshijiao
    Nanshijiao Station
    The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

    ]
    . During peak holiday periods, trials are being run for [Tamsui - Nanshijiao
    Nanshijiao Station
    The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

    ]
    .
    • The above are two two-way routes and utilize six-car configurations.
  • Xiaobitan Branch Line: [Xiaobitan
    Xiaobitan Station
    The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Station is a terminal station on the Xiaobitan Branch Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

    - Qizhang
    Qizhang Station
    The Taipei Metro Qizhang Station is a station on the Xindian Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer and terminus of the Xiaobitan Branch Line.-Station overview:...

    ]
  • Xiaonanmen Line: [Ximen
    Ximen Station
    The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

    - Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
    Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
    The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

    ]
    .
  • Xinbeitou Line: [Beitou
    Beitou Station
    The Taipei Metro Beitou Station is a station on Red Line , located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of station can be traced back the same name station of the now-defunct TRA Tamsui Line and Xinbeitou Line.-Station overview:The station is an elevated structure with one island...

    - Xinbeitou
    Xinbeitou Station
    The Taipei Metro Xinbeitou Station is the terminal station on the Xinbeitou Branch Line located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of the station used to be the terminal station for the now-defunct TRA Xinbeitou Line.-Station overview:...

    ]
    .
    • The above are short-range, two-way operations. The Xiaonanmen Line utilizes six-car configurations, while the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan Lines utilize three-car configurations.
  • The Wenshan-Neihu Line connect through to each other: [Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center
    Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
    The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

    - Taipei Zoo
    Taipei Zoo Station
    The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

    ]
    . The route utilizes four-car configurations, although the platform lengths allow for six-car configurations.

Fares and tickets

RFID IC Tokens and EasyCard
EasyCard
The EasyCard is a contactless smartcard system operated by the Taipei Smart Card Corporation for payment on the Taipei MRT, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since June 2002. Its use has since been expanded to include convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, and...

 smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

s are used to collect fares for day-to-day use, with the exception of group tickets and bicycle access tickets (which use paper tickets). The Kaohsiung MRT Card and Taiwan Smart Card will begin to be accepted by the end of 2011 with the installation of multiple card readers.

Fares range from NT$20 to NT$65 with most locations accessible for around NT$20–30. Beginning April 1, 2011, senior citizens and physically challenged individuals will be entitled to a 50% discount on fares.
The fare for the first 5 km on a one-way ticket is NT$20, and each additional 3 km costs an extra NT$5, up to NT$65. A 20% discount is taken with use of an EasyCard. The table below shows fare amounts versus distance.
Distance
(km)
Fare
(NT$
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...

)
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Fare using EasyCard 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52

Types of tickets

  • IC Tokens: These single-use RFID tokens can be bought from ticket vending machines in each station. They are valid only on the day of purchase and replaced the existing magnetic cards in 2007.

  • One-Day Pass: This card allows for unlimited Taipei Metro travel. They are valid from the first use until the end of service on the same day (not including the Maokong Gondola
    Maokong Gondola
    The Maokong Gondola is a gondola lift transportation system in Taipei, Taiwan. Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The line has four stations...

    ). Value cannot be added and it costs NT$200 (inclusive of a NT$50 deposit). The deposit can be collected if the card is returned within three days of the first use.
    • Paper tickets are no longer being issued. However, they can be obtained in exchange for a Taipei Metro gift coupon.

  • Group Ticket: These are available for groups of 10 or more (at a 20% discount) or groups of 40 or more (at a 30% discount). These cannot be refunded once issued and require passengers to enter through the "Group Ticket Entrance/Exit".

  • Single Journey Ticket for Cyclists: At a cost of NT$80, this allows for one person to bring a bicycle into the system (at select stations). It is only issued/valid at certain times, and no funds can be given once issued. In 2008, 102,279 bicycles were taken on the Taipei Metro.

  • EasyCard
    EasyCard
    The EasyCard is a contactless smartcard system operated by the Taipei Smart Card Corporation for payment on the Taipei MRT, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since June 2002. Its use has since been expanded to include convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, and...

    : Issued by the EasyCard Corporation, these cards are stored value cards for contactless
    Contactless smart card
    A contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...

     electronic payment. They are available as Adult, Student, Concessionaire, and TaipeiPass varieties. See Types of EasyCards for more information.
    • Senior EasyCard passengers enjoy a 60% discount on base fares. Easy Card users receive half-price discounts automatically on connecting bus routes from and towards the Metro stations.

History

The Taipei Metro is one of the most expensive rapid transit systems ever constructed, with Phase One of the system costing US$18 billion and Phase Two (currently under construction) estimated to cost US$13.8 billion upon completion.

Initial proposal

In 1967, the government of the Republic of China
Politics of the Republic of China
The politics of the Republic of China ,takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state and the premier is head of government, and of a dominant party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative...

 began researching the possibility of constructing a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 network in the Taipei metropolitan area; however, the plan was shelved due to fiscal concerns and the belief that such a system was not urgently needed at the time. With the increase of traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...

 accompanying economic growth in the 1970s, the need for a rapid transit system became more pressing. In February 1977, the Institute of Transportation (IOT) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations...

 (MOTC) released a preliminary rapid transport system report, with the designs of five lines, including U1, U2, U3, S1, and S2, to form a rough sketch of the planned corridors, resulting in the first rapid transit system plan for Taipei.

In 1981, the IOT invited British Mass Transit Consultants (BMTC) and China Engineering Consultants, Inc. to form a team and provide in-depth research on the preliminary report. In 1982, the Taipei City Government commissioned National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University is a public university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Taiwan and is renowned for its research and teaching excellence in electrical engineering, computer science, engineering, management, and...

 to do a research and feasibility study on medium-capacity rapid transit systems. In January 1984, the university proposed an initial design for a medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taipei City, including plans for Line 1 and Line 2 of the medium-capacity metro system. On March 1, 1985, the Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

 Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development is a government agency responsible for drafting overall plans for national economic development in the Free Area of the Republic of China. It also assesses development projects, proposals and programmes submitted to the Executive Yuan...

 (CEPD) signed a treaty with the Taipei Transit Council (TTC), composed of three American consultant firms, to do overall research on a rapid transit system in metropolitan Taipei. Apart from adjustments made to the initial proposal, Line 1 of the medium-capacity metro system was also included into the network. In 1986, the initial network design of the Taipei Metro by the CEPD was passed by the Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

, although the network corridors were not yet set. A budget of NT$441.7 billion (US$13.4 billion) was allocated for the project.

On June 27, 1986, the Preparatory Office of Rapid Transit Systems was created, which in 1987 was formally established as the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) for the task of handling planning, design, and construction of the system. Apart from preparing for the construction of the metro system, DORTS also made small changes to the metro corridor. The 6 lines proposed on the initial network were: Tamsui Line, Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Muzha (now Wenshan) Line, totaling 79 stations and 76.8 km (47.7 mi) route length, including 34.4 km (21.4 mi) of elevated rail, 9.5 km (5.9 mi) at ground level, and 44.2 km (27.5 mi) underground. The Neihu Line corridor was approved later in 1990.

The six lines

The Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

 approved the initial network plan for the system on May 27, 1986. Ground was broken and construction began on December 15, 1988. The growing traffic problems of the time, compounded by road closures due to TRTS construction led to what became popularly known as the "Dark Age of Taipei Traffic". The TRTS was the center of political controversy during its construction and shortly after the opening of its first line in 1996 due to incidents such as computer malfunction during a thunderstorm, alleged structural problems in some elevated segments, budget overruns, and fare prices.

The system opened on March 28, 1996, with the 10.5 km (6.5 mi) elevated Muzha Line, a driverless, medium-capacity
Medium-capacity rail transport system
In rail transport, a medium-capacity system is a non-universal term coined to differentiate an intermediate system between light rail and heavy rail. The concept is similar to Light Metro, seen in European countries...

 line with twelve stations running from Zhongshan Junior High School
Zhongshan Junior High School Station
Zhongshan Junior High School Station is a station on the Wenshan Line of the Taipei Metro, located on the border between the Zhongshan and Songshan districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 to Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

. The first high-capacity line, the Tamsui Line, began service on March 28, 1997, running from Tamsui to Zhongshan Station
Zhongshan Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station is a station on the Tamsui Line, located in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is located in the middle of the underground Zhongshan Metro Mall.-Station overview:...

. On December 23, 1998, the system passed the milestone of 100 million passengers.

On December 24, 1999, a section of the Banqiao/Nangang Line was opened between Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple Station
The Taipei Metro Longshan Temple Station is a station on the Banqiao Line in Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan. The station is named for the nearby Longshan Temple, a famous Taipei landmark.-Station overview:...

 and Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

. This section became the first east-west line running through the city, connecting the two previously completed north-south lines. On May 31, 2006, the second stage of the Banqiao/Nangang Line and the Tucheng Line
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

 began operation.

On July 4, 2009, with the opening of the Neihu Line
Neihu Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Neihu Line is a medium-capacity rapid transit system and runs on an elevated corridor except near Songshan Airport and Dazhi. The line's service length is and it is joined to the Wenshan Line at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, providing direct service through Neihu, Nangang,...

, the last of the six original lines was completed. Due to controversy on whether to construct a medium-capacity or high-capacity line, construction of the line did not begin until 2002.

Important events

On September 17, 2001, Typhoon Nari
Typhoon Nari (2001)
Typhoon Nari was an unusually long-lived typhoon which took an erratic, two week track near Taiwan during September 2001.-Meteorological history:...

 flooded all underground tracks as well as 16 stations, the heavy-capacity system operation control center, the administration building, and the Nangang Depot. The elevated Muzha Line was not seriously affected and resumed operations the next day. However, the heavy-capacity lines were not restored to full operational status until three months later. Following this incident, TRTS has devoted more resources to flood prevention in the underground system.

On July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola
Maokong Gondola
The Maokong Gondola is a gondola lift transportation system in Taipei, Taiwan. Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The line has four stations...

, a new aerial lift/cable-car
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...

 system, was opened to public. The system connects Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

, Chi Nan Temple, and Maokong
Maokong
Maokong is located in Wenshan District of Taipei, Taiwan. The area used to be the biggest tea growing area of Taipei. There are many intertwining footpaths which have been used to transport tea...

. Service was suspended on October 1, 2008 due to erosion from mudslides under a support pillar. The gondola officially resumed service as of March 31, 2010, after relocation of the pillar and passing safety inspections.

On New Year's Eve 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, the Metro system transported 2.17 million passengers in 42 consecutive hours. On April 22, 2010 after 14 years of service, the system achieved the milestone of 4 billion cumulative riders. On December 29, 2010, the system passed the benchmark of 500 million annual passengers for the first time. The record for single day ridership hit 2.5 million passengers during the New Year's Eve celebrations on December 31, 2010.

Impact

Despite earlier controversy, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the metro project was a success and has since become an essential part of life in Taipei. The system has been effective in reducing traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...

 in the city and has spurred the revival of satellite town
Satellite town
A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of, larger metropolitan areas.-Characteristics:...

s (like Tamsui) and development of new areas (like Nangang). The system has also helped to increase average vehicle speed for routes running from New Taipei into 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...

. Property prices along metro routes (both new and existing) tend to increase with the opening of more lines.

Since the Taipei Metro joined the Nova International Railway Benchmarking Group and the Community of Metros
Community of Metros
Community of Metros is a system of international railway benchmarking. CoMET is consisted of large metro systems from around the world...

 (Nova/CoMET
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...

) in 2002, it has started collecting and analyzing data of the 33 Key Performance Indicators set by Nova/CoMET
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...

 in order to compare them with those of other metro systems around the world, as a reference to improve its operation. Taipei Metro also has gained keys to success from case studies on different subjects such as safety, reliability, and incidents, and from the operational experiences of other metro systems.

According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Centre of Imperial College, and data gathered by Nova/CoMET, the Taipei Metro has ranked number 1 in the world for four consecutive years in terms of reliability, safety, and quality standards (2004–2007).

Facilities

Stations

The Taipei Metro provides an obstacle-free environment within the entire system; all stations and trains are handicap accessible
Disability rights movement
The disability rights movement is the movement to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities. The specific goals and demands of the movement are: accessibility and safety in transportation, architecture, and the physical environment, equal opportunities in independent...

. Features include: handicap-capable restrooms, ramps and elevators for wheelchairs and strollers, tactile guide paths, extra-wide faregates, and trains with a designated wheelchair area.

To accommodate increasing passenger numbers, all metro stations have replaced turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...

s with speedgates since 2007, and single journey magnetic cards have been replaced by RFID tokens.
TRTS provides free mobile phone connections in all stations, trains, and tunnels and also provides WiFi WLAN
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...

 connections at several station hotspots. The world's first WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...

-service metro trains were introduced on the Wenshan Line in 2007, allowing passengers to access the internet and watch live broadcasts.

Platforms

Most stations on high-capacity lines have island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...

 configurations while a few have side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...

 configurations, and vice versa for medium-capacity lines. All high-capacity metro stations have a 150 m (492.1 ft) long platform to accommodate all six train cars on a typical metro train (with the exception of Xiaobitan
Xiaobitan Station
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Station is a terminal station on the Xiaobitan Branch Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

). The width of the platform and concourse depends on the volume of transit; the largest stations include Taipei Main Station
Taipei Main Station
Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

, Zhongxiao Fuxing
Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

, and Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

. Some future transfer stations, including Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

, Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

, and Songjiang Nanjing
Songjiang Nanjing Station
The Taipei Metro Songjiang Nanjing Station is a station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a planned transfer station between the Xinzhuang Line and Songshan Line...

, also have wide platforms.

Each station is equipped with LED displays
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...

 and LCD TVs both in the concourse and on the platforms which display the time of arrival of the next train. At all underground stations, red lights along the platform edge (or on automatic platform gates at stations where they are installed) flash one minute prior to train arrival to alert passengers.

All the stations on the Brown Line and Xinzhuang
Xinzhuang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line on the Taipei Metro currently under construction in Taiwan. As of September 2010, it is 91.81% complete...

/Luzhou Lines, as well as at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center
Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

, are equipped with platform screen doors
Platform screen doors
Platform screen doors and platform edge doors at train or subway stations screen the platform from the train. They are a relatively new addition to many metro systems around the world, with some platform doors retrofitted rather than installed with the metro system itself. They are widely used in...

. High-traffic stations, including Taipei Main Station
Taipei Main Station
Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

, Zhongxiao Fuxing
Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

, and Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

, have platform gates to prevent passengers and other objects from falling onto the rails. For safety reasons, fifteen additional stations will be equipped with these gates in the future (including Ximen
Ximen Station
The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

, Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

, and Banqiao
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...

). All lines and extensions currently under construction will be equipped with platform screen doors. A Track Intrusion Detection System has also been installed to improve passenger safety at stations without platform doors. The system uses infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

 and radio
Radio waves
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum longer than infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies from 300 GHz to as low as 3 kHz, and corresponding wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 100 kilometers. Like all other electromagnetic waves,...

 detectors to monitor unusual movement in the track area.

Shopping centers

In addition to the rapid transit system itself, the TRTC operates several public facilities such as underground shopping malls
Underground city
An Underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of these. The term may also refer to a network of tunnels that...

, parks, and public squares in and around stations, including:
  • Zhongshan Metro Mall
    Zhongshan Metro Mall
    The Zhongshan Metro Shopping Mall is an extensive underground shopping mall in Zhongshan District and Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is located at Changan West Rd., No. 52-1. The mall stretches from Taipei Main Station in the south to Shuanglian Station in the north.-Overview:The entire mall...

    : Shuanglian Station
    Shuanglian Station
    The Taipei Metro Shuanglian Station is located between the Datong and Zhongshan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station of the Tamsui Line .-Station overview:...

     - Zhongshan Station
    Zhongshan Station
    The Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station is a station on the Tamsui Line, located in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is located in the middle of the underground Zhongshan Metro Mall.-Station overview:...

     - Taipei Main Station
    Taipei Main Station
    Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

     (815 m, 81 shops).
  • Taipei Main Station Underground Mall: on floor B1 of the station.
  • Taipei New World Shopping Center: Between the metro and TRA
    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...

     sections of Taipei Station.
  • Station Front Mall: West of Taipei Main Station, beneath Zhongxiao W. Road
    Zhongxiao Road
    Zhongxiao Road is a major arterial and provincial highway in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Zhongzheng district in the west with the Daan, Songshan, Xinyi, and Nangang districts towards the east...

    .
  • Taipei Underground Market
    Taipei Underground Market
    Taipei City Mall , located in at the intersection of the Daan and Zhongzheng Districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is the first and one of the most popular underground markets in Taipei City. It is located under Civic Boulevard , Section 1.-Structure:...

    : Northwest of Taipei Main Station, beneath Zhengzhou Rd. and Civic Blvd
    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...

    .
  • East Metro Mall: Between Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
    Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
    The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

     and Zhongxiao Dunhua Station
    Zhongxiao Dunhua Station
    The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Dunhua Station is a station on the Nangang Line located in Daan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The station is located in the heart of Taipei's busy Eastern District.-Station overview:...

     (825 m, 35 shops).
  • Ximen Underground Mall: north of Ximen Station
    Ximen Station
    The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

     (currently used as an office building and library).
  • Longshan Temple Underground Mall: Longshan Temple Station
    Longshan Temple Station
    The Taipei Metro Longshan Temple Station is a station on the Banqiao Line in Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan. The station is named for the nearby Longshan Temple, a famous Taipei landmark.-Station overview:...

     north and south sides.
  • Global Mall: Banqiao 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...

     floors B1 to 2F.


As of 2008 there are 102 shops within the stations themselves.

Public art

In the initial network, important stations such as transfer stations, terminal stations, and stations with heavy passenger flow were chosen for the installation of public art. The principles behind the locations of public art were visual focus and non-interference with passenger circulation and construction schedules. The artworks included murals, children's mosaic collages, sculptures, hung forms, spatial art, interactive art, and window displays. The selection methods included open competitions, invitational competitions, direct assignments, and cooperation with children.
Stations with public art displays include: Shuanglian
Shuanglian Station
The Taipei Metro Shuanglian Station is located between the Datong and Zhongshan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station of the Tamsui Line .-Station overview:...

, National Taiwan University Hospital
National Taiwan University Hospital Station
The Taipei Metro National Taiwan University Hospital Station is a station on the Tamsui Line located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

, Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

, Gongguan
Gongguan Station
The Taipei Metro Gongguan Station is located in the Gongguan area, between the Zhongzheng and Daan districts, in Taipei City, Taiwan. National Taiwan University, the highest academy of Taiwan, is close to the station.-Station overview:...

, Xindian
Xindian Station
The Taipei Metro Xindian Station is the southern terminus of the Xindian Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

, Xiaobitan
Xiaobitan Station
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Station is a terminal station on the Xiaobitan Branch Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

, Dingxi
Dingxi Station
The Taipei Metro Dingxi Station is a station on the Zhonghe Line located in Yonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station has an island platform and two exits.-Station layout:-Exits:...

, Nanshijiao
Nanshijiao Station
The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

, Taipei City Hall
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

, Kunyang
Kunyang Station
Kunyang Station is a station on the Nangang Line of the Taipei Metro, located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:Kunyang Station is a two-story, underground station with one island platform and four exits...

, Nangang
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...

, Haishan
Haishan Station
The Taipei Metro Haishan Station is a station on the Banqiao Line located in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

, and Tucheng
Tucheng Station
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Station is a station on the Tucheng Line located in Tucheng District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:It is a two-level, underground station with an island platform configuration and has three exits. The station is located underneath Jincheng Rd...

. Stations with art galleries include Zhongshan
Zhongshan Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station is a station on the Tamsui Line, located in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is located in the middle of the underground Zhongshan Metro Mall.-Station overview:...

, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

, Zhongxiao Fuxing
Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Fuxing Station is located in the Da'an District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station for the Wenshan Line/Neihu Line and the Nangang Line...

, and Taipei Main Station
Taipei Main Station
Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

.

The promotion for artwork continues today - the Department of Rapid Transit held a bid on providing public large scale artwork for the interiors of the forthcoming Sanchong Station
Sanchong Station
The Taipei Metro Sanchong Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Sanchong District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open in March 2012. It is a planned transfer station with the Taoyuan Airport MRT.-Station overview:...

. The bid is placed at over NTD 9 million.

Transit

Transfers to city bus stations
Taipei bus
The Taipei Joint Bus System is a bus system that serves the greater metropolitan area of Taipei, Taiwan. It is administered by the Taipei Joint Bus Service Management Center, the Taipei City Traffic Bureau, and the New Taipei City Traffic Bureau , and is operated by 15 private agencies...

 are available at all metro stations. In 2009, transfer volume between the metro and bus systems reached 421,100 transfers per day (counting only EasyCard
EasyCard
The EasyCard is a contactless smartcard system operated by the Taipei Smart Card Corporation for payment on the Taipei MRT, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since June 2002. Its use has since been expanded to include convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, and...

 users). Connections to 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...

 trains are available at Taipei Main Station
Taipei Main Station
Taipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...

, Banqiao, and Nangang
Nangang
Nangang District is a southeastern district of Taipei. It is the seat of the Academia Sinica, Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, and Nankang Software Park .- Administration :...

. Connections to 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...

 are served by Taipei Main Station and Banqiao (with future service to Nangang under construction). Connections to Taipei Bus Station
Taipei Bus Station
Taipei Bus Station is a multi-use complex located next to Taipei Station in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. The complex houses the Taipei bus terminal station which was inaugurated on August 19, 2009, as well as recreational and leisure faciltiies. The mall complex was inaugurated on December 11,...

 and Taipei City Hall Bus Station
Taipei City Hall Bus Station
The Taipei City Hall Bus Station is a multi-use transportation complex located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. It serves as a transportation hub for bus and metro, with the metro's Taipei City Hall Station incorporated into the basement.-Overview:...

 are available at Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall Station
Taipei City Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei City Hall Station is located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Nangang Line .-Station overview:...

, respectively. The Maokong Gondola
Maokong Gondola
The Maokong Gondola is a gondola lift transportation system in Taipei, Taiwan. Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The line has four stations...

 is accessible from Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

.

Taipei Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport or Taipei Sungshan Airport is a midsize commercial airport and military airbase located in Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan...

 is served by the Songshan Airport Station
Songshan Airport Station
The Taipei Metro Songshan Airport Station is located in Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Neihu Line and serves as a transportation gateway to Taipei Songshan Airport.-Station overview:...

. A metro system to connect Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by 2013. Lines currently under construction will connect the system to additional TRA
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...

 and THSR
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...

 transfer stations.

Rolling stock

Rolling stocks on the Taipei Metro are multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

 rolling stocks, using a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

 to provide electricity (750 volts DC) for propulsion. Each train is equipped with automatic train operation (ATO)
Automatic train operation
Automatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies....

 for a partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.

Medium-capacity trains

The medium-capacity trains are rubber-tired trains with no onboard train operators but are operated remotely by the medium-capacity system operation control center. The Wenshan-Neihu Line uses a fixed-block Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...

 (ATC) system. Each train consists of two 2-car Electric Multiple Unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

 (EMU) sets, with a total of 4 cars. Each car is separate and not interconnected; passengers cannot walk between cars except when the train stops at a station.

The Wenshan Line previously used the VAL 256 trains cars, with the two VAL 256 cars in the same set sharing the same road number. As a result of this numbering scheme, the 102 cars of the VAL fleet have car numbers from 1 to 51. On June 2003, Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

 was awarded a contract to supply the Neihu Line
Neihu Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Neihu Line is a medium-capacity rapid transit system and runs on an elevated corridor except near Songshan Airport and Dazhi. The line's service length is and it is joined to the Wenshan Line at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, providing direct service through Neihu, Nangang,...

 with 202 Innovia 256 train cars http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/transportation-systems/driverless-systems/automated-metros/taipei--taiwan?docID=0901260d800107ab, installing the communications-based CITYFLO 650 moving-block ATC system to replace the current fixed-block ATC and retrofitting the existing 102 VAL 256 cars with the CITYFLO 650 ATC system. Integration of Bombardier's trains with the existing Brown Line has proven to be difficult at the beginning, with multiple system malfunctions and failures during the first three months of operation. Retrofitting older trains also took longer than expected, as the trains must also undergo several hours of reliability testing during non-service hours. The VAL 256 trains resumed operations since December 2010.

Heavy-capacity trains

The heavy-capacity trains have steel wheels and are operated by an on-board train operator. The trains are computer-controlled. The operator, who is both motorman
Motorman
A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was gender-neutral...

 and conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...

, is responsible for opening and closing the doors and making announcements. ATC controls all train movements - braking, acceleration and speed control, but can be manually overridden by the operator in the case of an emergency.

Each train consists of two 3-car Electric Multiple Unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

 (EMU) sets with a total of 6 cars. Each 3-car EMU set is permanently coupled as DM-T-M, where DM is the motor car with cab, T is a trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....

 car and M is the motor car without cab. Each motor car has two AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

 traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....

s. The configuration of a 6-car train is DM-T-M-M-T-DM. All cars are interconnected by passage links to allow passengers to pass freely between cars.

In Set XXX, the road number of a DM car is 1XXX, the road number of a T car is 2XXX and the road number of an M car is 3XXX. The table below shows the set numbers of the heavy-capacity car types, which include Types C301, C321, C341 and C371. For example, if the car numbers of a C301 train is 1001-2001-3001-3002-2002-1002, two C301 sets 001 and 002 form this train.

A single set cannot be in revenue service except C371 single sets 397-399, where their M car is exactly a DM car despite its car number being 3XXX. These single sets run exclusively on Xinbeitou Branch Line
Xinbeitou Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinbeitou Branch Line is an elevated, high-capacity branch line of the Tamsui Line. It first opened for service on March 28, 1997...

 and Xiaobitan Branch Line
Xiaobitan Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian (Sindian) Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of...

. Before the C371 single sets were in revenue service on July 22, 2006, the M cars of C301 sets 013-014 were converted to temporary cab cars to run the Xinbeitou Branch Line.

In 2010, the new C381 was built for Taipei Metro to cope with increasing passenger ridership and the expansion of its network route. However, since its delivery the train sets have yet to be put into service, though some are planned for use with the future Xinyi and Songshan Lines.

Fleet roster

Car
Type
Year
Built
Builder Car
Length/
Width/
Height
Seating
capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...


per car
Total
capacity
Per car
Max.
speed
Fleet
total
Car numbers Lines
currently on
Denotes
VAL
256
Taipei Metro VAL 256
The Taipei Metro VAL 256 is a medium capacity rapid transit EMU operated on the Taipei Rapid Transit System.The VAL 256 was the first trainset to enter service on the Taipei Metro in 1996...

1993 Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...

13.78 m/
2.56 m/
3.53 m
24 114 80
km/h
102 MP 1-51 ATC
retrofit
completed;
under
testing
2-car set
Innovia 256 2006- Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

13.78 m/
2.54 m/
3.53 m
20 142 80
km/h
202 MP 101-201 Wenshan Line
Neihu Line
Neihu Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Neihu Line is a medium-capacity rapid transit system and runs on an elevated corridor except near Songshan Airport and Dazhi. The line's service length is and it is joined to the Wenshan Line at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, providing direct service through Neihu, Nangang,...

2-car set
C301 1992-
1993
URC
(Subsidiary
of Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

)
23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m
60 368 90
km/h
132 1001-1044 (DM)
2001-2044 (T)
3001-3044 (M)
All heavy-
capacity lines
3-car set (DM-T-M)
Set no.: 001-044
C321 1997-
1999
Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m
60 368 90
km/h
216 1101-1172 (DM)
2101-2172 (T)
3101-3172 (M)
All heavy-
capacity lines
3-car set (DM-T-M)
Set no.: 101-172
C341 2003 Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m
60 368 90
km/h
36 1201-1212 (DM)
2201-2212 (T)
3201-3212 (M)
Banqiao –
Nangang Line
Tucheng Line
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

3-car set (DM-T-M)
Set no.: 201-212
C371 2006-
2010
Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m
60 368 90
km/h
321 1301–1338,
1397-1399,
1401-1466 (DM)
2301-2338,
2397-2399,
2401-2466 (T)
3301-3338,
3397-3399,
3401-3466 (M)
All heavy-
capacity lines
3-car set (DM-T-M)
Set no.: 301-338,
397-399, 401-466
C381 2010- Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m
60 368 90
km/h
138 1501-1546 (DM)
2501-2546 (T)
3501-3546 (M)
All heavy-
capacity lines
3-car set (DM-T-M)
Set no.: 501-546

Depots

The system currently has 8 depots, with more under construction.
Depot Name Year Opened Location Rolling Stock Housed Line(s) Served
Muzha 1996 Wenshan
Wenshan District
Wenshan District is the southernmost of the twelve districts of Taipei City. The district was formed in 1990 by combining Jingmei and Muzha. Wenshan previously referred to the region south of Taipei Basin .- Culture :...

, northeast of Taipei Zoo Station
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

CITYFLO 650, VAL256
Taipei Metro VAL 256
The Taipei Metro VAL 256 is a medium capacity rapid transit EMU operated on the Taipei Rapid Transit System.The VAL 256 was the first trainset to enter service on the Taipei Metro in 1996...

Wenshan Line
Beitou 1997 Beitou, southwest of Fuxinggang Station
Fuxinggang Station
The Taipei Metro Fuxinggang Station is located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Tamsui Line. In the past, the station belonged to the now-defunct TRA Tamsui Line.-Station overview:...

Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 C301
Taipei Metro EMU301
The Taipei Metro EMU301 cars are the first electric multiple units to operate on the heavy-capacity lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System when it began operations in 1996...

, C371
Tamsui Line
Xinbeitou Branch Line
Xinbeitou Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinbeitou Branch Line is an elevated, high-capacity branch line of the Tamsui Line. It first opened for service on March 28, 1997...

Zhonghe 1998 Zhonghe, east of Nanshijiao Station
Nanshijiao Station
The Taipei Metro Nanshijiao Station is the southern terminus of the Zhonghe Line located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is built on the site of the old Zhonghe Train Station, which ceased operations in 1990....

Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 C301
Taipei Metro EMU301
The Taipei Metro EMU301 cars are the first electric multiple units to operate on the heavy-capacity lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System when it began operations in 1996...

, C371
Zhonghe Line
Zhonghe Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Zhonghe Line is a high-capacity, underground line and is part of the Orange Line. The 5.4 km route has 5 stations and runs from Nanshijiao and passes beneath the Xindian River into Taipei and terminates on the Xindian Line at Guting....

Xindian 1999 Xindian
Xindian
Xindian District is a district in the southern part of New Taipei City in northern Republic of China .- History :Xindian's name originated during the Qing Dynasty close to 300 years ago. According to legend, a person named Lin and others came from Quanzhou, Fujian Province...

, northwest of Xiaobitan Station
Xiaobitan Station
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Station is a terminal station on the Xiaobitan Branch Line located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 C301
Taipei Metro EMU301
The Taipei Metro EMU301 cars are the first electric multiple units to operate on the heavy-capacity lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System when it began operations in 1996...

, C371
Siemens C321, C341
Xindian Line
Xindian Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xindian Line is an underground high-capacity line. The -route has 10 stations and is part of the Green Line. The line follows the route of the former TRA Xindian Line, which ceased service in 1965...


Xiaobitan Branch Line
Xiaobitan Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of the Xindian (Sindian) Line The Taipei Metro Xiaobitan Branch Line is a high-capacity, elevated branch line of...

Nangang 2000 Nangang, southeast of Kunyang Station
Kunyang Station
Kunyang Station is a station on the Nangang Line of the Taipei Metro, located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:Kunyang Station is a two-story, underground station with one island platform and four exits...

Siemens C321, C341 Nangang Line
Nangang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Nangang Line is a high-capacity, underground rapid transit line on the Taipei Metro in Taipei, Taiwan. It has 12 stations, is -long and runs east-west through downtown starting in Zhongzheng and ending in Nangang, Taipei...

Tucheng 2006 Tucheng, southwest of Far Eastern Hospital Station
Far Eastern Hospital Station
The Taipei Metro Far Eastern Hospital Station is a station on the Tucheng Line located in Banqiao District, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:The station features an underground island platform and three exits...

Siemens C321, C341 Tucheng Line
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

Neihu 2009 Nangang, northeast of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station is located in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan at the south end of Nangang Business Park...

CITYFLO 650 Neihu Line
Neihu Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Neihu Line is a medium-capacity rapid transit system and runs on an elevated corridor except near Songshan Airport and Dazhi. The line's service length is and it is joined to the Wenshan Line at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, providing direct service through Neihu, Nangang,...

Luzhou 2010 Luzhou, northeast of Luzhou Station
Luzhou Station
The Taipei Metro Luzhou Station is the terminal station on the Luzhou Line, located in Luzhou, New Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:This two-level, underground station is located at the intersection of Sanmin Road and Zhongzheng Road and opened on November 03, 2010...

Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 C371
Luzhou Line

Future expansion

Lines approved and under construction

The following lines and segments are currently under construction:
LinePlanned opening date|TerminiStationsLength (km)Depot
Orange Line
Orange Line (TRTS)
The Orange Line consists of three lines of the Taipei Metro in Taiwan : the Zhonghe Line , the Xinzhuang Line, and the Luzhou Line . As of July 2011, two segments of the Xinzhuang Line are still under construction and are expected to completely open by 2014...

Xinzhuang Line
Xinzhuang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line on the Taipei Metro currently under construction in Taiwan. As of September 2010, it is 91.81% complete...

 
March 2012 Fu Jen University
Fu Jen University Station
The Taipei Metro Fu Jen University Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open in 2013 and is named after the nearby Fu Jen Catholic University.-Station overview:...

 
Daqiaotou  7 Xinzhuang
June 2012 Zhongxiao Xinsheng
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 
Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

 
1 2.6
Red Line
Red Line (TRTS)
The Red Line comprises three lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System: the Tamsui Line , the Xinbeitou Branch Line, and the Xinyi Line. When completed, it will include a total of 30 stations serving the Tamsui, Beitou, Shilin, Datong, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Daan, and Xinyi districts, stretching...

Xinyi Line
Xinyi Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinyi Line is a high-capacity, rapid transit line currently under construction. It is the extension of the Tamsui Line and part of the Red Line. Upon completion, the line will alleviate congestion on the Nangang Line by providing another east-west route through the Xinyi District...

 
December 2012 CKS Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

 
Elephant Mountain
Elephant Mountain Station
The Taipei Metro Elephant Mountain Station is a planned station on the Xinyi Line located in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open at the end of 2012.-Station overview:...

 
7 6.4 Beitou
Taoyuan Airport MRT  June 2013 Sanchong
Sanchong Station
The Taipei Metro Sanchong Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Sanchong District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open in March 2012. It is a planned transfer station with the Taoyuan Airport MRT.-Station overview:...

 
Huanbei 22 51.03 Luzhu
Blue Line
Blue Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Blue Line is a high-capacity rapid transit line comprises three lines: the Nangang Line, the Banqiao Line, and the Tucheng Line. The lines are divided at Ximen Station and Fuzhong Station, and offer through traffic to one another...

Tucheng Line
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

 
December 2013 Yongning
Yongning Station
The Taipei Metro Yongning Station is the current terminal station of the Tucheng Line located in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 
Dingpu  1 2.0 Tucheng
Green Line
Green Line (TRTS)
The Green Line is four lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System, the Songshan Line, the Xiaonammen Line, the Xindian Line, and the Xiaobitan Branch Line. With the completion of the Songshan Line in 2013, trains currently travelling from Xindian onto the Tamsui Line will be switched onto the...

Songshan Line
Songshan Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Songshan Line is a high-capacity underground metro line currently under construction in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an extension of the Xindian Line. When completed, it will help ease congestion on the east-west Nangang Line....

 
December 2013 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:...

 
Ximen
Ximen Station
The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

 
8 8.5 Xindian
Taoyuan Airport MRT  October 2014 Taipei Main Station  Sanchong
Sanchong Station
The Taipei Metro Sanchong Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Sanchong District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open in March 2012. It is a planned transfer station with the Taoyuan Airport MRT.-Station overview:...

 
0 4 Luzhu
Orange Line
Orange Line (TRTS)
The Orange Line consists of three lines of the Taipei Metro in Taiwan : the Zhonghe Line , the Xinzhuang Line, and the Luzhou Line . As of July 2011, two segments of the Xinzhuang Line are still under construction and are expected to completely open by 2014...

Xinzhuang Line
Xinzhuang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line on the Taipei Metro currently under construction in Taiwan. As of September 2010, it is 91.81% complete...

 
November 2014 Huilong
Huilong Station
The Taipei Metro Huilong Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is the western terminus of the Xinzhuang Line and is scheduled to open in March 2012. It is also a planned station on the Wanda-Shulin Line and the Taoyuan MRT...

 
Fu Jen University
Fu Jen University Station
The Taipei Metro Fu Jen University Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open in 2013 and is named after the nearby Fu Jen Catholic University.-Station overview:...

 
2 Xinzhuang
Yellow Line
Yellow Line (TRTS)
The Yellow Line is a line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System in Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan, currently under construction with the first section scheduled to open in 2015. The remaining sections are still under planning.- Sections :-Stations:...

Circular Line Stage 1
Circular Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Circular Line is an elevated, medium-capacity rapid transit in Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan. It is currently under construction with the first section scheduled to open in 2015...

 
December 2015 New Taipei Industrial Park Dapinglin
Dapinglin Station
The Taipei Metro Dapinglin Station is located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Xindian Line and will also become a transfer station with the Circular Line when construction is completed in 2015.-Station overview:...

 
14 15.4 South
Red Line
Red Line (TRTS)
The Red Line comprises three lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System: the Tamsui Line , the Xinbeitou Branch Line, and the Xinyi Line. When completed, it will include a total of 30 stations serving the Tamsui, Beitou, Shilin, Datong, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Daan, and Xinyi districts, stretching...

Xinyi Eastern
Extension
Xinyi Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xinyi Line is a high-capacity, rapid transit line currently under construction. It is the extension of the Tamsui Line and part of the Red Line. Upon completion, the line will alleviate congestion on the Nangang Line by providing another east-west route through the Xinyi District...

 
December 2017 Elephant Mountain
Elephant Mountain Station
The Taipei Metro Elephant Mountain Station is a planned station on the Xinyi Line located in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open at the end of 2012.-Station overview:...

 
Zhongpo
Zhongpo Station
The Taipei Metro Guangci Care Home Station is a planned station on the Xinyi Line located in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan. The station is scheduled to open at the end of 2017.-Station overview:The station will be an underground station...

 
2 1.6 Beitou
Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin Line December 2018 CKS Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

 
Zhonghe Senior
High School
9 8.8

Xinzhuang Line

The Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line
Zhonghe Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Zhonghe Line is a high-capacity, underground line and is part of the Orange Line. The 5.4 km route has 5 stations and runs from Nanshijiao and passes beneath the Xindian River into Taipei and terminates on the Xindian Line at Guting....

 currently under construction. As of May 2011, it is 93.23% complete. The Xinzhuang Line is the first Taipei Metro line to cross under the Tamsui River. The section between Zhongxiao Xinsheng
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 and Daqiaotou opened on November 3, 2010, along with the opening of the Luzhou Branch Line
Luzhou Branch Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Luzhou Line is a high-capacity, underground branch of the Xinzhuang Line that runs through Taipei and New Taipei. It forms part of the Orange Line and is named for the district of Luzhou where the line terminates. The line originates from Daqiaotou...

, while the section between Guting
Guting Station
The Taipei Metro Guting Station is located in the Zhongzheng and Daan districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is an interchange station with Xindian Line, Zhonghe Line, and the Xinzhuang Line ....

 and Zhongxiao Xinsheng
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 is expected to open in 2012.

Xinyi Line

The Xinyi Line is a high-capacity, underground line currently under construction. It is the extension of the Tamsui Line and part of the Red Line
Red Line (TRTS)
The Red Line comprises three lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System: the Tamsui Line , the Xinbeitou Branch Line, and the Xinyi Line. When completed, it will include a total of 30 stations serving the Tamsui, Beitou, Shilin, Datong, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Daan, and Xinyi districts, stretching...

. Upon completion, the line will alleviate congestion on the Nangang Line
Nangang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Nangang Line is a high-capacity, underground rapid transit line on the Taipei Metro in Taipei, Taiwan. It has 12 stations, is -long and runs east-west through downtown starting in Zhongzheng and ending in Nangang, Taipei...

 by providing another east-west route through the Xinyi District. The line will span 6.4 km (4 mi) and have 7 underground stations, running from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station
The Taipei Metro Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Tamsui Line and the Xindian/Xiaonanmen Branch Lines...

 to Elephant Mountain. A planned extension of the line will extend the line east along Xinyi Rd. and Fude Rd. to Zhongpo South Rd., and end at Yucheng Park. It will add 2 stations and 1.6 km of additional route length. The final corridor was approved on February 12, 2010.

Taoyuan Airport MRT

The Taoyuan International Airport MRT is a rapid transit line planned to connect 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...

 and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, before linking up with the Taoyuan MRT to THSR
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...

 Taoyuan Station
THSR Taoyuan Station
THSR Taoyuan Station is an underground station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail located in Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. It is also known as Chingpu Station .-Overview:The underground station has two side platforms...

 and onwards to Zhongli
Zhongli, Taiwan
Zhongli City , formerly Chungli , is a city in Taoyuan County of Taiwan, Republic of China. It became a city before Taoyuan City, the county seat of Taoyuan County...

. Construction began in 2006 and the system is scheduled to begin service in June 2013. The route will be 51.03 km (31.7 mi)-long with 7 underground stations, 15 elevated stations, and two maintenance depots (Chingpu and Lujhu). Elevated track makes up 40.11 km (24.9 mi) of the total route length. The total budget for the project is 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...

93.6 billion. As of December 2010, the project is 66.21% complete. Upon completion, the line is expected to serve over 143,000 passengers per day. The entire system is expected to cost 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...

113.85 billion.

Songshan Line

The Songshan Line is a high-capacity, underground line currently under construction. It is an extension of the Xindian (Sindian) Line
Xindian Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xindian Line is an underground high-capacity line. The -route has 10 stations and is part of the Green Line. The line follows the route of the former TRA Xindian Line, which ceased service in 1965...

. When completed, it will help ease congestion on the east-west Nangang Line
Nangang Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Nangang Line is a high-capacity, underground rapid transit line on the Taipei Metro in Taipei, Taiwan. It has 12 stations, is -long and runs east-west through downtown starting in Zhongzheng and ending in Nangang, Taipei...

. The 8.5 km (5.3 mi) route will have seven underground stations (including Ximen
Ximen Station
The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

). Upon completion, it will take 15 minutes to travel from 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:...

 to Ximen
Ximen Station
The Taipei Metro Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, and Xiaonanmen Line...

. It is expected to open for service by December 2013.

Tucheng Line extension

A 2 km (1.2 mi)-extension of the Tucheng Line
Tucheng Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Tucheng Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Banqiao and Nangang Lines . The line is 7.5 km long and consists of 5 stations with an extension under construction to Dingpu.-History:...

 to Dingpu is under construction and expected to be completed by December 2013. Upon completion, it will become the western terminus of the Blue Line
Blue Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Blue Line is a high-capacity rapid transit line comprises three lines: the Nangang Line, the Banqiao Line, and the Tucheng Line. The lines are divided at Ximen Station and Fuzhong Station, and offer through traffic to one another...

.

Circular Line

The Circular Line is an elevated, medium-capacity line currently under construction in New Taipei. The first section is scheduled to open in 2015. Stage I construction consists of the section from New Taipei Industrial Park to Dapinglin
Dapinglin Station
The Taipei Metro Dapinglin Station is located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Xindian Line and will also become a transfer station with the Circular Line when construction is completed in 2015.-Station overview:...

 on the Xindian Line
Xindian Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Xindian Line is an underground high-capacity line. The -route has 10 stations and is part of the Green Line. The line follows the route of the former TRA Xindian Line, which ceased service in 1965...

 and will be about 15.4 km (9.6 mi) long with 14 stations. Ansaldo STS
Ansaldo STS
Ansaldo STS S.p.A. is a multinational technology company which produces signalling and automation systems for use by rail and rapid transit operators. The firm also acts as lead contractor and turnkey provider on new rail developments...

 will supply electromechanical equipment for the line, including driverless technology and CBTC Radio signalling.

Planned lines

The following lines are currently in the planning stages:
Line Termini Stations Length (km) Depot
Yellow Line
Yellow Line (TRTS)
The Yellow Line is a line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System in Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan, currently under construction with the first section scheduled to open in 2015. The remaining sections are still under planning.- Sections :-Stations:...

Circular Line North Section
Circular Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Circular Line is an elevated, medium-capacity rapid transit in Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan. It is currently under construction with the first section scheduled to open in 2015...

 
Jiannan Road
Jiannan Road Station
The Taipei Metro Jiannan Road Station is located in the Zhongshan District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Neihu Line and on the planned Circular Line.-Station overview:...

 
Business Exhibition Center 11 14.3 East
Circular Line South Section
Circular Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Circular Line is an elevated, medium-capacity rapid transit in Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan. It is currently under construction with the first section scheduled to open in 2015...

 
Dapinglin
Dapinglin Station
The Taipei Metro Dapinglin Station is located in Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Xindian Line and will also become a transfer station with the Circular Line when construction is completed in 2015.-Station overview:...

 
Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 
6 5.6
Ankeng Line Shisizhang Erbazi Botanical Garden 10 7.8 Erbazi
Sanying Line Dingpu  Pade 14 18.6
Minsheng-Xizhi Line Dadaocheng Xizhi 15 17.52 Xizhi
Shezi, Shilin, and Beitou Light Rail Lines Shezi Tianmu 11 8.8
Beitou
Beitou
Beitou District is the northernmost of the twelve districts of Taipei City, Taiwan. The historical spelling of the district is Peitou. The name originates from the Ketagalan word Kipatauw, meaning witch. Beitou is the most mountainous and highest of Taipei's districts.Beitou is famous for its hot...

 
Daqiaotou  10 9.1
North-South Line Jiannan Road
Jiannan Road Station
The Taipei Metro Jiannan Road Station is located in the Zhongshan District in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on the Neihu Line and on the planned Circular Line.-Station overview:...

 
Xiulong Bridge 16 17.1
Shenkeng Line Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo Station
The Taipei Metro Taipei Zoo Station is a terminus on the Wenshan Line, Maokong Gondola Line, and the planned Circular Line of the Taipei Metro. It is located in the Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...

 
Shiding Service Area 6 7.8
Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin Line Zhonghe Senior
High School
Huilong
Huilong Station
The Taipei Metro Huilong Station is a planned station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is the western terminus of the Xinzhuang Line and is scheduled to open in March 2012. It is also a planned station on the Wanda-Shulin Line and the Taoyuan MRT...

 
13 13.3

Minsheng-Xizhi Line

As of February 2011, New Taipei has been pursuing the construction of the 17.52-km Minsheng-Xizhi Line, though the most recent plan was rejected by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations...

, citing the need for further evidence for the line's viability. The city plans to re-submit the proposal, and the project is estimated to cost NT$42.2 billion (US$1.44 billion). A possible 4.25-km extension of the line to Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...

 is also being considered.

See also

  • Maokong Gondola
    Maokong Gondola
    The Maokong Gondola is a gondola lift transportation system in Taipei, Taiwan. Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The line has four stations...

  • Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System
  • Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
    Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit
    The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System is a rapid transit system covering metropolitan Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Construction of the KMRT started in October 2001. The Red Line and the Orange Line opened on March 9 and September 14, 2008, respectively...

  • Rail transport in Taiwan
    Rail transport in Taiwan
    Taiwan has an extensive network of railways . Though no longer as dominant as it once was, Taiwan's high population density continues to make rail transport an extremely important form of transportation, especially along the densely populated western corridor...

  • List of rapid transit systems

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK