The Taipei MRT system is to boost profits this year through commercial leasing, adding 11 retail spaces to nine stations by the end of this year and transforming the Ximen Metro Mall at Ximen Station into a K-pop and anime-themed commercial area, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said.
Despite carrying more than 1 million passengers per day, TRTC has been operating at a loss in recent years due to rising electricity and labor costs.
The new initiative is expected to boost TRTC revenue by NT$17.8 million (US$578,307) per year, the company said.
Photo: Taipei Times
This year, it is to add a total of 757m² of retail space to nine stations, at a total of 11 locations, it said.
Ximen Underground Mall, extending for 182m, would see its 18 stores revamped into a themed mall collaborating with well-known brands, including flagship anime stores, merchandise related to K-pop and South Korean artists, and themed restaurants, it said.
As of last month, the TRTC has encountered losses of NT$1.342 billion, already higher than last year’s total annual losses of NT$1.239 billion, TRTC president Huang Ching-hsin (黃清信) said.
The company completed leasing arrangements for seven spaces at five stations last month, including NTU Hospital Station and Xinyi Anhe Station, he said.
By the end of the year, another four stations would be completed, including Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station and Taipei City Hall Station, he added.
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