The estimated completion date for the Kaohsiung MRT’s new Yellow Line has been extended to 2034, with operations to begin on some sections two years earlier in 2032, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Charles Lin (林欽榮) said today.
Lin was answering questions from city councilors, who asked whether the line would be finished by 2028 as originally estimated.
Material prices have pushed up the overall cost of the project 62.8 percent from NT$144 billion to NT$235 billion (US$4.42 billion to US$7.21 billion), Lin said, adding that the central government has agreed to the increased cost.
Photo copied by Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
However, due to the adjustments, the central government has asked for a delayed timeline, he added.
The line is to open in sections, starting with stations Y1 to Y5, then stations Y5 to Y18, he said.
A commuter transit line is a major infrastructure project and cannot be rushed, Lin added.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau
Of the additional funds needed, the Kaohsiung City Government is only responsible for NT$4.03 billion, he said, adding that it is within the affordable range.
It was earlier announced that Kaohsiung would be responsible for NT$60.82 billion of the original estimated cost of NT$144 billion.
The proposed Yellow Line would connect Kaohsiung’s Red and Orange MRT lines, as well as a light-rail system and a railway station.
It is to pass through Niaosong (鳥松), Sanmin (三民), Lingya (苓雅), Sinsing (新興), Fongshan (鳳山) and Cianjhen (前鎮) districts, and serve 1.16 million people, or about 41.8 percent of the city’s population, the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau said when the plan was approved in 2022.
Additional reporting by CNA
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