Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit

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The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System (KMRT; Traditional Chinese: 高雄大眾捷運系統) is a rapid transit currently in construction in the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The construction of KMRT started in October, 2001, with the first phase of the system, the Red and Orange lines, expected to be completed in October, 2007. KMRT will be operated by Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC; Traditional Chinese: 高雄捷運公司) under the BOT contract it signed with the Kaohsiung City government.

1 History
- 1.1 Scandals & Major Construction Accidents
2 Routes
- 2.1 Red Line
- 2.2 Orange Line
3 See also
4 References & notes
5 External links

[edit] History

The Kaohsiung City Government undertook a feasibility study to construct a rapid transit system in Kaohsiung in 1987. After finding favorable results, the city government began lobbying the Central Government for approval and funding. In 1990 approval was obtained to establish the Kaohsiung City Mass Rapid Transit Bureau and planning of the rapid transit network started. The first phase of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System, the Red and Orange Lines, was approved in 1991, but disputes in funding shares between Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County Governments stalled the project. The Kaohsiung City Mass Rapid Transit Bureau was officially established in 1994, to coincide with the project's move into the final scoping and detail design stages^[1].

Work continued until 1996, when the Central Government ordered KMRT to look into constructing the project via the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) method. In 1999 the city government put out a request for the BOT contract to construct the first phase of the KMRT system. In 2000, out of three consortiums that submitted the bid, Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC), was determined to be the top bidder and received the priority negotiating rights with the city government in constructing the system. KRTC obtained a company licence and was registered in December 2000. In January 2001, KRTC signed the "Construction and Operation Agreement" and "Development Agreement" with the Kaohsiung City Government, signaling the beginning of construction of the KMRT system. The main participants of the KRTC are: China Steel Corporation, Southeast Cement Corporation, RSEA Engineering Corporation, China Development Industrial Bank, and the Industrial Bank of Taiwan^[1].

While the Red Line will be opened as scheduled in October 2007, the Orange Line will opened about 18 months later due to several construction accidents that occurred in 2004 and 2005^[2].

[edit] Scandals & Major Construction Accidents

In August 2004, a large section of subway tunnel near Siziwan station at the west end of the Orange Line collapsed during construction. More than ten low-rise buildings near the collapsed tunnel had to be evacuated and, later on, torn down due to major structure damages^[3].

A scandal involving alleged inhumane treatment of Thai migrant workers erupted in 2005. Investigation revealed kickbacks to politicians by the contractor. The scandal had tainted the public confidence in the construction of the system and prompted a diplomatic response by the Thai Prime Minister asking the migrant workers to return to Thailand. Chen Chu, the Chairperson of the Council of Labor Affairs of the Executive Yuan, resigned as a result of the scandal^[4].

In December 2005, another subway tunnel section of the Orange Line at eastern Kaohsiung City collapsed during construction. The collapse of the subway tunnel also brought about the collapse of a road tunnel that was above the subway tunnel. Several nearby buildings were evacuated for several days for inspection. It was estimated that the road tunnel cannot be rebuilt and reopened for traffic for at least a few months.

[edit] Routes

Kaohsiung MRT route map, including planned and proposed routes

When completed, the combined length of the Red and Orange Lines will be 42.7 km. There will be a total of 38 stations, of which 28 will be underground, 2 at ground level, and 8 elevated.

[edit] Red Line

Route Orientation	Termini	Length	Number of Stations
North-South	Gangshan (南岡山) - Siaogang (小港)	28.3 km	24 (15 underground, 8 elevated, 1 ground level)

Extending from south to north, Red Line starts at the intersection of Yanhai and Hanmin Roads in Siaogang District, then following Jhongshan Road as it passes through Kaohsiung International Airport, Labor Park, Sanduo Shopping District, Central Park, Dagangpu Circle to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) Kaohsiung Station. After crossing the track yard of TRA, the route then follows Boai Road arriving at Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) Zuoying Station / TRA New Zuoying Station. Then the route passes through Bapingshan, extends along Zuonan Road to Nanzih Export Processing Zone, and continues into Kaohsiung County. The route finally passes along the Gaonan Highway to Ciaotou Township and the southern border area of Gangshan Township. The total length of Red Line is approximately 28.3 kilometers, with 24 stations on the route, of which 15 are underground, 8 elevated and 1 at ground level. Two depots will be built near Caoya Station and beside Gangshan South Station to serve the line.

[edit] Orange Line

Route Orientation	Termini	Length	Number of Stations
East-West	Sizihwan (西子灣) - Daliao (大寮)	14.4 km	14 (13 underground, 1 ground level)

Extending from west to east, Orange Line starts at Sizihwan (Linhai 2nd Road), crosses the track yard of TRA Kaohsiung Port Station and follows Dayong Road, passing through Love River. Then the route follows Jhongjheng Road as it passes through Kaohsiung City Council, Dagangpu Circle, Cultural Center, Martial Arts Stadium and the Weiwuying Park planning site before entering Kaohsiung County. The route continues along Zihyou Road , Guangyuan Road and Jhongshan East Road in Fongshan City to Daliao Township. The total length of the line is approximately 14.4 kilometers, with 14 stations on the route. All stations will be underground except Daliao Station, which is at ground level. A single depot will be built beside Daliao Station to serve the line.