Neihu Line inspection goes off without a hitch

The preliminary inspection of the Taipei MRT Neihu Line yesterday assured the safety of the system, and the line is expected to begin operation as scheduled next month after a final inspection, the Taipei City Government said yesterday.

Taipei City’s Transportation Department invited an inspection committee composed of 22 transportation and civil engineering experts to conduct a two-day inspection on the design, equipment installation and operation of the system.

The head of the inspection committee, Yang Yong-bin (楊永斌), told a press conference that it found no major safety risks in the system, but listed a total of 62 minor flaws.

The committee demanded that Taipei City’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) and Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) improve 12 items, including the facilities for the disabled in stations, before the final inspection, he said.

DORTS Commissioner Tom Chang (常歧德) said the department would make the improvements within a week and invite the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to do a final inspection before formal operations begin late next month.

The Neihu Line was originally scheduled to open last year, but has suffered delays ever since construction began in 2003.

Chang said integration testing of the Neihu Line and the Muzha Line went well and that the DORTS had no plans to halt services again on the Muzha Line for further system tests.

Chang said the city government was confident that the Neihu Line would start operations as scheduled.

The 14.8km Neihu Line, which has 10 above-ground stations and two underground stations, connects Zhongshan Junior High School Station on the Muzha Line with the Blue Line that runs east and west across the city.

From west to east, the 12 stations are Songshan Airport, Dazhi, Jiannan Road, Xihu, Gangqian, Wende, Neihu, Dahu Park, Huzhou, Donghu, Nangang Software Park and Nangang Exhibition Hall.

Once open, the travel time from Neihu to Taipei Main Station will be 28 minutes, while a trip from Nangang Exhibition Hall to Taipei Zoo will take about 40 minutes.