The New Taipei City Government next month is to submit to the central government a revised plan for the second phase of the light rail network in Tamsui due to opposition from residents living along the previously planned route, a city government official said yesterday.
New Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems Deputy Director-General Lin Yao-chang (林耀長) told a meeting about the Danhai Light Rail transit system’s construction about proposed changes to the Blue Seaside Line that is to run alongside the Tamsui River (淡水河).
While the first phase of the line, which connects the existing Green Mountain Line to Tamsui Fishermen’s Wharf via the Taipei University of Marine Technology and Shalun, is expected to enter service by the end of this year, the second phase has faced opposition from local residents, he said.
The proposed second phase, which is to link Tamsui MRT Station with Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, has a section that runs through Tamsui Old Street.
However, following a series of discussions with local residents, the department is to propose a modified route and a new plan is to be submitted to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications next month.
The new plan includes changes to the entire 4.4km light rail line to be built alongside the Tamsui River, Lin said.
To avoid the overhead power lines that would be required, impacting the riverside view, the department is studying the possibility of the vehicles to be used being battery-powered, he said.
The department plans to begin a comparative environmental impact analysis of the modified plan by the end of this year, he added.
The NT$15.3 billion (US$524.9 million) Danhai Light Rail project was approved by the Cabinet in 2013, with the 11-stop Green Mountain Line entering service in December 2018.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3