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.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.