Railway crossings may soon become a thing of the past on the streets of Taipei City as the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) plans to have trains run in an underground tunnel between Songshan (松山) and Nankang (南港) by the end of next month, the railway service said yesterday.
Train commuters between Keelung and Taipei must pass over the Songshan-Nankang stretch of rail. Currently, the platforms for both stations are above ground. However, once the tunnel is in use, the platforms will be underground.
TRA Deputy Director General Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications had already completed the tunnel inspection.
“The Railway Reconstruction Bureau is planning to turn this tunnel over to us after the shortcomings found at the inspection are all addressed, which they are aiming to finish by the end of this month,” Chang said.
Chang said that the administration will also connect the underground railway tracks with the existing ones, which may take another month to complete.
There are a total of 13 railway crossings between Songshan and Nankang.
While rush-hour motorists and bus riders complain these crossings slow down traffic, train commuters are upset because it takes a long time for trains to come, prompting the construction of the tunnel.
Another tunnel will also make the section between Wudu (五堵) and Banciao (板橋) crossing-free, Chang said.
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