The Executive Yuan yesterday finalized a plan to construct the Keelung MRT Line, which would connect Taipei’s Nangang Station (南港) to Keelung’s Badu Station (八堵), with about 77 percent of the costs to be paid by the central government.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) made the announcement yesterday morning during an inspection tour in Keelung.
Building the Keelung metropolitan rail system is important, as it affects transportation, industrial development and tourism in Taipei, Keelung and New Taipei City, Su said.
People have been waiting 30 years for the plan to be finalized, as officials had difficulty agreeing on the route, he said.
“The Executive Yuan upgraded the project from a light rail system to an MRT system, and government officials have come to an agreement on the MRT stations,” Su said.
Construction costs for the project have risen from NT$8 billion to NT$42.5 billion (US$286.94 million to US$1.52 billion), of which NT$32.7 billion would be paid by the central government, Su said.
The remaining cost would be paid by the three city governments, he added.
“Through the collective efforts of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, legislators and local officials, we hope that the project is no longer just talk, but will foster the development of the ‘greater Taipei’ metropolitan area,” he said.
Once constructed, the line would convey travelers from Keelung directly to Nangang Station, where they could transfer to the Taipei MRT’s Bannan Line (Blue Line) and the Taiwan High-Speed Rail, Su said.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said the ministry had planned to build a light rail system that could operate on the Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) rail network, but later found that doing so would greatly decrease the TRA system’s efficiency.
The finalized plan is the first to connect Nangang and Badu, Wang said, adding that it would make the commute to Taipei easier from Keelung and New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止).
According to the ministry’s presentation, the 16.05km-long line is to have 13 stations and passengers would be able to transfer at Nangang Station to the Taipei MRT’s Bannan Line and Wenhu Line (Brown Line), as well as the TRA and high-speed railways.
The plan must still undergo an environmental impact assessment, the ministry said.
The Keelung MRT Line is to begin operations by April 2032, the ministry added.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
RSS