A new section of the Danhai Light Rail Transit system in New Taipei City is to begin operating today, extending the service to Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭), a popular scenic spot.
Following an opening ceremony at 10am, service on the Blue Seaside Line near the Tamsui River (淡水河) would start at 2pm, New Taipei Metro Corp said.
The new 2km section of the light rail network connects at Binhai Shalun Station with the existing Green Mountain Line, which has 11 stations and runs from Hongshulin MRT Station to Kanding Station, the company said.
Photo provided by New Taipei Metro Corp
It means that people would be able to travel directly from Hongshulin (紅樹林) to Fishermen’s Wharf, it said.
The service from Hongshulin is to alternate between Kanding (崁頂) and Fishermen’s Wharf every seven to eight minutes, from 6am to midnight.
The new line is the first metro route in the nation that offers passengers a clear view of the Taiwan Strait, and also includes a section called the Blue Seaside Bridge that runs 120.7m across a stream between the Taipei University of Marine Technology and Shalun stations, New Taipei Metro said.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, there would be light shows on the bridge from 6pm to 10pm, the city’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems said.
With the expansion of the light rail system, ridership is expected to increase from 9,000 to 44,000 per day, department deputy head Lin Yao-chang (林耀長) said.
Until Dec. 14, people with electronic metro passes would be able to travel free of charge between the Taipei University of Marine Technology, Shalun and Tamsui Fishermen’s Wharf stations, New Taipei Metro said.
The seaside line is scheduled to be completed in 2024, after an additional 5.71km section between Fisherman’s Wharf and Tamsui MRT Station is constructed.
The full plan for the Danhai light rail system is to build four lines — Blue, Green, Bali and Sanzhi — at a total cost of NT$15.3 billion (US$530.38 million).
The network is part of New Taipei City’s plan to develop its 1,748.7-hectare Danhai New Town (淡海新市鎮) area, which was launched in 1992 with a goal of attracting a population of 300,000 by 2036.
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