While Taipei City's MRT system is not scheduled to resume full service until next year, the city hopes to put most of the system back online by the middle of next month, city officials said yesterday.
"Although the Hoshanpi station of the Panchiao-Nankang line will remain closed until next year, we hope to resume full service at Hsimen station on Nov. 20 as well as services on the Panchiao-Nankang line by the middle of December," said Kuo Tsai-ming (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Kuo made the comments at the Hsimen station of the Panchiao-Nankang line yesterday morning while leading a group of reporters and TV cameramen on an inspection of the work site.
The underground segments of the MRT system as well as the system's control center in the basement of the Taipei Railway Station were seriously damaged by flooding when Typhoon Nari ravaged the nation between Sept. 16 and Sept. 19.
The control center and the Taipei Main Station on the Tamsui-Hsintien line have remained closed since. The Panchiao-Nankang line is the only MRT line which has not resumed full service.
While the original control center is expected to be operational again between April and June of next year, the Taipei Main Station could reopen two weeks earlier than predicted -- perhaps as soon as the middle of December.
"What takes the most time is the replacement of the computer software and fiber optics in the computer center," Kuo said.
The segment between Hsinpu and Hsimen stations on the Panchiao-Nankang line returned to service on Oct. 14.
The segment between Hsimen and Chunghsiao Fuhsing stations was up and running on Oct. 27.
Hsimen station, however, is open only on the first and second basement levels, while the third basement level has remained closed due to the seriousness of the flooding.
"We've been working around the clock trying to repair the station before Nov. 20," Kuo said, adding that a team of 40 people is working during the day and another team of 20 people is working at night on the reconstruction project.
City officials hope to resume service along the remaining segment of the Panchiao-Nankang line between Chunghsiao Fuhsing and Kunyang stations, except for the Hoshanpi station, in the middle of December.
The segment's opening was originally slated for the beginning of December but was pushed back as three stations still remain unusable. They are the Hoshanpi, Chunghsiao Tunhua and Taipei City Hall stations.
Most of the MRT system's electronic systems were heavily damaged during the record flooding brought by Nari.
Those devices include communication equipment, escalators, fire safety equipment, the drainage system and the wire and ventilation systems installed in the ceiling.
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