The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) yesterday celebrated the breakthrough of the Shanyue Tunnel (山岳隧道) connecting Taipei’s Nangang (南港) district and New Taipei City’s (新北市) Sijhih (汐止) District, which would improve the mass transit service between the metropolitan areas.
Since the high-speed rail began operations in 2006, TRA has planned to improve mass transit service between the nation’s metropolitan areas. To increase the transport capacity, TRA decided to construct a third line of 2.21km between Sike Station and Nangang Station. TRA said the Shanyue Tunnel was the most difficult part of the construction. Though the tunnel is only 0.72km long, it was constructed in a difficult geological area.
The TRA said the tunnel was close to the Keelung River, with a section being built beneath the riverbed of Dakeng Creek (大坑溪). Construction of the tunnel started in September 2010 and did not reach the breakthrough until yesterday.
Photo: CNA
A third rail has already been added in the section between Keelung and Cidu (七堵) stations.
Aside from the construction of a third line between Nangang and Sijhih, the Railway Reconstruction Bureau and TRA are also building a third line between Cidu and Sijhih. These two projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. TRA said that the line between Sijhih and Nangang was the most popular section among commuters, adding that the train service would be available every 10 minutes once the third line was in place.
The TRA said that the third line would be available from Keelung to Nangang. The delivery of 296 new commuter train cars will also begin in October, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year. The travel time between Taipei and Keelung will be shortened to 35 minutes.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS