Taipei’s MRT Xinzhuang Line, a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line, is expected to launch service ahead of schedule in January as Taipei City’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) began its preliminary inspection process yesterday.
Part of the line from Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station to Daqiaotou Station began operating in November last year along with the Luzhou Line. The section between Daqiaotou Station and Fu Jen Catholic University Station was previously scheduled to go into service in March next year.
The department yesterday invited an inspection committee of transportation and civil engineering experts to conduct a two-day inspection of the engineering, equipment installation and operation of the system.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
The committee visited the line’s Fu Jen Catholic University Station and three other stations yesterday afternoon and was scheduled to continue its inspection today before announcing their findings.
Committee members were satisfied with the equipment installation inside the stations, but suggested that the department expand the pavement along the stations and improve the overall environment outside the stations.
Taipei City’s Department of Transportation Commissioner Jason Lin (林志盈) said construction of the line was completed in accordance with the construction schedule and the system reliability has reached 99 percent following a system test.
DORTS will conduct a final inspection next month before sending the results to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for final approval.
According to DORTS, the launch of the line will help ease traffic in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Sanchong (三重) and Sinjhuang (新莊) districts, which have a combined population of about 800,000 people.
After the launch of the 8.2 km section, the commute between Fu Jen Catholic University Station and Minquan W Road Station will only be about 17 minutes, while it is estimated it will take about 24 minutes to travel from Fu Jen Catholic University Station to Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station.
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