The new Songshan line of Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system saw generally smooth operation during its debut yesterday, although some passengers found it confusing to find the right platform.
At the Songjiang Nanjing Station, passengers were orderly as they took the line that is scheduled to run free of charge for one month, with many taking the time to print the station’s stamp on a piece of paper, to keep as a souvenir.
Lee Shu-nu, who lives in Sanchong, New Taipei City, said the new line makes it easier for her to reach the Songshan area, where both a major railway station, a popular night market and a shopping district for ready-to-wear clothing are located.
“I can transfer from the Orange [Xinlu-Zhonghe] Line to the Songshan Line to go to the Raohe Street Night Market,” the 72-year-old said.
However, some passengers seemed uncertain if they were heading in the right direction, because at the Songjiang Nanjing Station, passengers cannot simply walk across to the other side to catch trains running in the opposite direction; they have to go up or down some stairs to reach the other platform.
This means if passengers take the wrong turn, they have to walk a considerable distance to get to the right platform.
To help passengers get used to the new design, the Metro said it would dispatch 240 staff wearing an “Ask Me Please” jacket at all the Songshan Line stations during its first month of operation.
The 8.5km-long Songshan Line is an extension of the Xindian Line which is color coded green.
The new section is a 15 minute ride from New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) to Ximen (西門) in the heart of Taipei and runs east through six other stations before ending up at Songshan Station, where passengers can transfer to take railway trains to other parts of the nation.
From west to east, the six stations are Beimen, Zhongshan, Songjiang Nanjing, Nanjing Fuxing, Taipei Arena and Nanjing Sanmin.
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