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.
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