Taipei Rapid Transit System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taipei Rapid Transit System
(Metro Taipei)
Locale Metropolitan Taipei
Transit type Rapid transit
Began operation March 28, 1996
System length In service: 74.4 km
Total: 76.6 km
Number of lines 8
Number of stations 67
Daily ridership 1,187,922
(in January 2008)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Operator(s) Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC)
Taipei Rapid Transit System
Traditional Chinese: 台北大眾捷運系統
Metro Taipei
Traditional Chinese: 台北捷運

The Taipei Rapid Transit System (traditional Chinese: 台北大眾捷運系統), also known as the MRT (Metropolitan Rapid Transit), or by locals simply as the Metro Taipei (traditional Chinese: 台北捷運) is a rapid transit system connecting the Taipei metropolitan area. The system is currently operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (traditional Chinese: 台北大眾捷運公司; pinyin: Táiběi Dàzhòng Jiéyùn Gōngsī) or TRTC. In addition to the rapid transit system itself, the TRTS also includes several public facilities such as Maokong Gondola, underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares. Modifications to existing railway lines to further integrate them into the rapid transit system are underway.

The Taipei Metro is one of the most expensive rapid transit systems ever constructed, with the completed phase 1 of the system costing US$18 billion, and phase 2 (currently under construction) estimated to cost US$13.8 billion upon completion. Since it first began operations in 1996, the TRTS has reduced travel time from one end of Taipei to the other from up to three or more hours to less than an hour, and has been effective in relieving some of Taipei's traffic congestion problems. The system has also proved effective as a catalyst for urban renewal, as well as increasing tourist traffic to outlying cities such as Danshui.

Contents

[edit] History

Jiantan station
Jiantan station
Danshui station
Danshui station

In 1967, the Taiwan Government researched the possibility of constructing a rapid transit network in the Taipei metropolitan area; however, the plan was shelved due to fiscal concerns and the belief that such a system was not urgently needed at the time. With the increase of traffic congestion accompanying economic growth in the 1970s, the need for a rapid transit system became more pressing.

The Executive Yuan approved the initial network plan for the system on May 27, 1986. Construction on the TRTS began on December 15, 1988. The growing traffic problems of the time, compounded by road closures due to TRTS construction led to what became popularly known as the "Dark Age of Taipei Traffic". The TRTS was the center of political controversy during its construction and shortly after the opening of its first line in 1996 due to incidents such as computer malfunction during a thunderstorm, alleged structural problems in some elevated segments, budget overruns, and fare prices.

The system opened on March 28, 1996 with 10.5 km available on the Muzha Line, a medium-capacity line, with twelve stations between Zhongshan Junior High School to Taipei Zoo. The first heavy-capacity line, the Danshui Line, was opened on March 28, 1997 between Danshui to Zhongshan Station.

On December 24, 1999, a section of the Banqiao/Nangang Line was opened between Longshan Temple and Taipei City Hall. This section became the first east-west line running through Taipei City, connecting the two previously completed north-south lines.

On September 17, 2001, Typhoon Nari flooded all underground tracks, as well as 16 stations, the heavy-capacity system operation control center, the administration building and the Nangang Depot. The elevated Muzha Line was not seriously affected and resumed operations the next day; however, the heavy-capacity lines were not restored to full operational status until three months later. Following this incident, the TRTS has devoted more resources to flood prevention in the underground system.

On May 31, 2006, the second stage of the Banqiao / Nangang Line and the Tucheng Line began operation. Currently the TRTS network has 8 lines totalling 74.4 km and 69 stations (of which 7 are transfer stations), with continuing expansion.[1]

In January 2008, TRTS achieved a daily ridership of 1,187,922 passengers.[2] In terms of daily ridership, TRTS is larger than Washington D.C.'s Metrorail (702,171 in FY 2007) and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (356,060 between July 2007 and September 2007) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

On July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola, a brand new aerial lift/cable-car system, was opened to public. The system connects the Taipei Zoo, Zhinan Temple and Maokong.

[edit] Impact

Despite earlier controversy, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the TRTS project was a success, since becoming an essential part of life in Taipei.

Since Taipei Metro joined the Nova International Railway Benchmarking Group and the Community of Metros (Nova/CoMET) in 2002, it has started collecting and analyzing data of the 33 Key Performance Indicators set by Nova/CoMET in order to compare them with those of other metro systems around the world, as a reference to improve its operation. Taipei Metro also has gained keys to success from case studies on different subjects such as safety, reliability, and incidents, and from the operational experiences of other metro systems.[3].

According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Centre of Imperial College [4], and data gathered by Nova/CoMET, the Taipei Metro has ranked number 1 in the world for three consecutive years in terms of reliability, safety and quality standards.

[edit] Metro Network

Taipei MRT Route Map (Routes in revenue service)
Taipei MRT Route Map (Routes in revenue service)
Taipei MRT Route Map (Tongyong Pinyin), (Hanyu Pinyin).
Taipei MRT Route Map (Tongyong Pinyin), (Hanyu Pinyin).
Line Inauguration Terminus Track Stations Length (km) Depot
Brown Line Neihu Line March 2009 Nangang Exhibition Centre Zhongshan Junior High School Elevated
Underground		 12 14.8 Neihu Depot
Muzha Depot
Muzha Line[5] March 28, 1996 Zhongshan Junior High School Taipei Zoo Elevated 12 10.9
Red Line Danshui Line December 24, 1998 Danshui Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Elevated
At-Grade
Underground		 20 22.8 Beitou Depot
Xinbeitou Branch Line March 28, 1997 Xinbeitou Beitou Elevated 1 1.2
Xinyi Line December 2012 Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Elephant Mountain Underground 7 6.4
Elephant Mountain Guanci Care Home 1.5
Orange Line Xinzhuang Line 2013 Huilong Daqiao Elementary School Underground 9 19.7 Xinzhuang Depot
Luzhou Depot
Zhonghe Depot
December 2009 Daqiao Elementary School Zhongxiao Xinsheng Underground 6
December 2012 Zhongxiao Xinsheng Guting Underground 2
Luzhou Branch Line December 2009 Luzhou Daqiao Elementary School Underground 5 6.4
Zhonghe Line December 24, 1998 Guting Nanshijiao Underground 4 5.4
Green Line Songshan Line December 2013 Songshan Ximen Underground 8 8.5 Xindian Depot
Xiaonanmen Branch Line August 31, 2000 Ximen Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Underground 1 1.6
Xindian Line November 11, 1999 Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Xindian Underground 11 10.3
Xiaobitan Branch Line September 29, 2004 Qizhang Xiaobitan Elevated 1 1.9
Blue Line Nangang Line December, 2010 Nangang Exhibition Center Kunyang Underground 2 2.5 Nangang Depot
Tucheng Depot
December 24, 1999 Kunyang Ximen Underground 11 11.1
Banqiao Line December 24, 1999 Ximen Fuzhong Underground 7.2
Tucheng Line December 24, 1999 Fuzhong Yongning Underground 5.5
Yongning Dingpu Underground 2
Yellow Line Circular Line Stage 1 December 2010 14 15.4 North Depot
South Depot
Circular Line Stage 2 December 2019 17 19.4
TTY Airport Access MRT February 2013 Sanchong Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Underground
Elevated		 22 35.7 Luzhu Depot
Note: The following romanizations were taken from the TRTC route page
Source: http://www.dorts.gov.tw/net/process.asp (progress through September 2007, issued on October 16, 2007)

[edit] Operations

Inside a Taipei MRT train during rush hour.
Inside a Taipei MRT train during rush hour.

The TRTS operates from 6 am to midnight daily, with extended services during special events. The trains operate at intervals of 2~3 minutes during peak hours and 5~8 minutes during off-peak hours.

Through operations are made between the Xindian Line and Danshui Line. In addition, trains from the Zhonghe Line go on to run on the Danshui Line before terminating at Beitou station. Only one train operates on the following shuttle lines: Xinbeitou Branch Line, Xiaonanmen Line, and Xiaobitan Branch Line.

RFID IC Tokens and EasyCard (traditional Chinese: 悠遊卡) smart cards, are used to collect fares. Fares range from NT$20 to NT$65 with most locations accessible for around NT$20-30.

Stations are extremely crowded during rush hours, especially downtown stations such as Taipei Main Station. Tourist attractions such as the Shilin Night Market and Danshui quickly fill up nearby stations during evenings and weekends.

Eating, drinking, smoking, gum-chewing, and betel-nut-chewing are prohibited in the entire system. Automated station announcements are recorded in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English.

[edit] Fare

The fare on the Taipei Metro varies with the distance traveled. The table below shows the fare versus the distance.

Distance
(km)		 ≤5 5~8 8~11 11~14 14~17 17~20 20~23 23~27 27~31 ≥31
Fare
(NTD)		 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

[edit] Facilities

Arrival and departure
Arrival and departure

[edit] Stations

The Taipei Metro provides an obstacle-free environment within the entire system, all stations and trains are handicapped accessible. Features include:

  • Handicap capable restrooms
  • Ramps for wheelchairs and baby strollers
  • Handrails on ramps and stairs
  • Elevators
  • Large station print
  • Tactile guides
  • Accessible station booth windows
  • Accessible Token Vending Machines
  • Extra wide speedgates
  • Platform-edge warning strips
  • Telephone at an accessible height
  • broadcast system for the visually-impaired
  • Information display system and flash signals for the hearing-impaired
  • All metro trains have a special wheelchair area.[6]

The Taipei Metro also provides access for bicycles during weekends.

All metro stations have a 150m long platform to accommodate all six train cars on a typical metro. The width of the platform and concourse depends on the amount of transit, the largest stations include Taipei Main Station, Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, and Ximen Station. To accommodate the increasing numbers of passengers, all metro stations have replaced turnstiles with speedgates since 2007, and single journey magnetic cards have been replaced by RFID Tokens. All stations have LED indicators giving information on the route and time of the next train, and all stations are also equipped with LCD TVs. TRTS provides free mobile phone connection in all stations, trains and tunnels and also provides WiFi WLAN connections at several station hotspots.

[edit] Platforms

When the final phase of construction is complete, each platform will serve only one line. However, in the meantime, some platforms serve trains on 2 or more lines. Information on the next train is provided on LCD TV panels.

Key transfer stations, including the Taipei Main Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing station, also have platform gates to prevent passengers and other objects from falling onto the rails.

[edit] Shopping Centres

The TRTC owns many shopping centres and malls around its stations, including:

  • Zhongshan Underground Mall: Shuanglian Station - Zhongshan Station - Taipei Main Station.
  • Eslite Underground Mall: above metro Taipei Main Station.
  • East Section Underground Mall: Zhongxiao Fuxing Station - Zhongxiao Dunhua Station.
  • Station Front Mall: east of Taipei Main Station.
  • Ximen Underground Mall: north of Ximen Station (currently used as an office building).
  • Taipei Underground Mall: northeast of Taipei Main Station, underneath Civic Boulevard.
  • Taipei New World Shopping Centre: area between metro Taipei Main Station and TRA Taipei Main Station.
  • Longshan Temple Underground Mall: Longshan Temple Station

[edit] Public Artwork

In the initial network, important stations such as intersection stations, terminals and stations with heavy passenger flow, were chosen for the installation of public art. The principles behind the locations of public art were visual focus and non-interference with passenger circulation and construction schedules. The artworks included murals, children's mosaic collages, sculptures, hung forms, spatial art, interactive art, and window displays. The selection methods included open competitions, invitational competitions, direct assignments and cooperation with children. Stations with public art displays include: Shuanglian, NTU Hospital, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Guting, Gongguan, Xindian, Xiaobitan, Dingxi, Nanshijiao, Taipei City Hall, Kunyang, Haishan, and Tucheng. Stations with art galleries include: Zhongshan, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Zhongxiao Fuxing, and Taipei Main Station. The promotion for artwork continues today - the Department of Rapid Transit is holding a bid on providing public large scale artwork for the interiors of the forthcoming Sanchong Station. The bid is placed at over NTD 9 million. [7]

[edit] Transit

Connections to Taiwan High Speed Rail, Taiwan Railway Administration trains, and shuttle buses are available at Taipei Main Station.

[edit] Rolling Stock

[edit] Medium-Capacity Trains

Medium Capacity Train, VAL 256s on the Muzha Line.
Medium Capacity Train, VAL 256s on the Muzha Line.

The medium-capacity trains are rubber-tired trains with no onboard train operators but are operated remotely by the medium-capacity system operation control center. The Muzha Line uses the fixed-block Automatic Train Control (ATC) system. Each train consists of two 2-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) sets, with a total of 4 cars. Each car is separate and not interconnected; passengers cannot walk between cars except when the train stops at a station.

The Muzha Line uses the VAL 256 cars, with the two VAL 256 cars in the same set sharing the same road number. As a result of this numbering scheme, the 102 cars of the VAL fleet have car numbers from 1 to 51. In June 2003, Bombardier was awarded a contract to supply the Neihu Line mass transit system, which includes manufacture of 202 cars, installing the communications-based CITYFLO 650 moving-block ATC system to replace the current fixed-block ATC and retrofitting the existing 102 VAL 256 cars with the CITYFLO 650 ATC system.

[edit] Heavy-Capacity Trains

A C371 High Capacity Train
A C371 High Capacity Train

The heavy capacity trains are steel-tired trains each operated by a train operator on board. These cars are computer-controlled. The operator, who is both motorman and conductor, is responsible for opening and closing the doors and making occasional special announcements. ATC controls all train movements - braking, acceleration and speed control, but can be manually overridden by the operator in the case of an emergency. In each cab there is a fully digital console with train controls.

Each train consists of two 3-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) sets with a total of 6 cars. Each 3-car EMU set is permanently coupled as DM-T-M, where DM is the motor car with cab, T is a trailer car and M is the motor car without cab. Each motor car has two AC traction motors. The configuration of a 6-car train is DM-T-M-M-T-DM. All cars are interconnected by passage links to allow passengers to pass freely between cars.

In Set XXX, the road number of a DM car is 1XXX, the road number of a T car is 2XXX and the road number of an M car is 3XXX. The table below shows the set numbers of the heavy-capacity car types, which include Types C301, C321, C341 and C371. For example, if the car numbers of a C301 train is 1001-2001-3001-3015-2015-1015, two C301 sets 001 and 015 form this train.

A single set cannot be in revenue service except C371 single sets 397-399, where their M car is exactly a DM car despite its car number being 3XXX. These single sets run exclusively on Xinbeitou Branch Line and Xiaobitan Branch Line. Before the C371 single sets were in revenue service on July 22, 2006, the M cars of C301 sets 013-014 were converted to temporary cab cars to run the Xinbeitou Branch Line.

[edit] Table of Rolling Stock

Car
Type		 Year
Built		 Builder Car
Length/
Width/
Height		 Seating
Capacity
Per Car		 Total
Capacity
Per Car		 Max.
Speed		 Fleet
Total		 Car Numbers Lines
Currently On		 Denotes
VAL
256		 1993 Matra 13.78 m/
2.56 m/
3.53 m		 24 114 80
km/h		 102 MP 1-51[8] Muzha Line 2-Car Set
2006- Bombardier 13.78 m/
2.54 m/
3.53 m		 20 142 80
km/h		 202 Muzha Line
Neihu Line		 2-Car Set
C301 1992-
1993		 URC
(Subsidiary
of Kawasaki)		 23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m		 60 368 90
km/h		 132 1001-1044 (DM[9])
2001-2044 (T[10])
3001-3044 (M[11])		 All Heavy-
Capacity Lines		 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)[12]
Set no.: 001-044
C321 1997-
1999		 Siemens AG 23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m		 60 368 90
km/h		 216 1101-1172 (DM)
2101-2172 (T)
3101-3172 (M)		 All Heavy-
Capacity Lines		 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)[13]
Set no.: 101-172
C341 2003 Siemens AG 23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m		 60 368 90
km/h		 36 1201-1212 (DM)
2201-2212 (T)
3201-3212 (M)		 Banqiao –
Nangang Line
Tucheng Line		 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)[14]
Set no.: 201-212
C371 2005- Kawasaki 23.5 m/
3.2 m/
3.6 m		 60 368 90
km/h		 321 1301-1338,
1397-1399,
1401-1466 (DM)
2301-2338,
2397-2399,
2401-2466 (T)
3301-3338,
3397-3399,[15]
3401-3466 (M)		 All Heavy-
Capacity Lines
 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)[16]
Set no.: 301-338,
397-399, 401-466

[edit] See also

This article contains Chinese text.
Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ TRTC Network and System. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (2007-10-05). Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
  2. ^ Daily ridership counts: January 2008. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (2007-02-05). Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
  3. ^ Taipei Metro Rating. Taipei Rapid Transit System (2007-11-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  4. ^ Railway And transport strategy centre (rtsc).
  5. ^ Department of Rapid Transit Systems Network. DORTS Taiwan. Retrieved on 8 November 2007.
  6. ^ Department of Rapid Transit (doc). DORTS. Retrieved on 13 November 2007.
  7. ^ Department of Rapid Transit (doc). DORTS. Retrieved on 13 November 2007.
  8. ^ Actually set number. MP stands for married pair. Cars in the 2-car set share the same road number.
  9. ^ DM: motor car with cab.
  10. ^ T: trailer car.
  11. ^ M: motor car without cab.
  12. ^ 2 C301 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types.
  13. ^ 2 C321 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types.
  14. ^ 2 C341 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types.
  15. ^ Cars 3397-3399 also have cabs. C371 single sets 397-399 currently run on Xinbeitou Branch Line and Xiaobitan (Siaobitan) Branch Line.
  16. ^ 2 C371 sets per train in revenue service except Sets 397-399, which can run as single sets. Not mixable with other car types

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Wikisource
Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article:
v • d • e
Taipei Rapid Transit System Routes
■ Brown
■ Red
■ Orange
■ Yellow
■ Green
■ Blue
■ Light Rail
Shezi Light Rail - Danshui Light Rail - Ankheng Light Rail - Sanying Line
■ Purple
v • d • e
Rail transport in Taiwan
Inter-city
Rapid transit
Metro Taipei • Taoyuan MRT • Taichung MRT • Kaohsiung MRT
Airport rail link
Industrial and Tourist
Alishan Forest Railway • Taiwan Sugar Railways • Taiping Mountain Forest Railway
Planned
Keelung LRT • Hsinchu MRT • Tainan MRT