Xinzhuang Line (Taipei Metro)

Xinzhuang Line
Xinzhuang Line 新莊線
Minquan West Road Station Platform 4
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
Locale	Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan
Termini	Huilong Guting
Stations	16
Operation
Opened	November 3, 2010
Operator(s)	Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation
Character	Underground
Depot(s)	Xinzhuang Depot (Under Construction)
Rolling stock	Kawasaki C371 3 cars per set, 2 sets per train
Technical
Line length	19.7 km (12.2 mi)
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	Third rail (750 volts DC)
Operating speed	80 km/h

The Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line is a high-capacity underground extension of the Zhonghe Line in Taiwan. The Xinzhuang Line is the first Taipei Metro line to cross under the Tamsui River and is open for commercial service.

The section between Zhongxiao Xinsheng and Daqiaotou opened on November 3, 2010, along with the opening of the Luzhou Branch Line,^[1] and the Daqiaotou to Fu Jen University section opened on January 5, 2012.^[2] The section between Guting and Zhongxiao Xinsheng opened on September 30, 2012,^[3] after which the remaining extension to Huilong opened on June 29, 2013.^[4]

As of July 3, 2013, the Xinzhuang Depot was still under construction and expected to be finished on January 2018, completing the Xinzhuang Line.^[5]

Overview

The line runs from Guting in Da'an of Taipei, through transfer stations on the Nangang and Tamsui lines, beneath the Tamsui River, through Sanchong, and terminates in Xinzhuang in New Taipei. The 19.7 km (12.2 mi) line has 16 underground stations and one maintenance depot.^[6] The section in Taipei is 7.3 km (7 stations), while the section in New Taipei totals 12.4 km (9 stations).^[6][7] The entire line will be equipped with platform screen doors. Estimates were for travel time between Huilong to Taipei Main Station to be reduced to 32 minutes after the line opened.

On January 15, 2011, Dongmen Station was still under construction while the track for the section from Zhongxiao Xinsheng to Guting (which passes through Dongmen Station) had already been laid.^[8] At the time, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation Vice Bureau Chief Chang Pei-yi noted that there was a possibility of opening the line for service while skipping both Dongmen and Guting stations, thus allowing for through service on the Orange Line.^[8] However, this did not occur. The section opened for service on September 30, 2012 along with Dongmen Station.

On December 18, 2011, the 8.2 km (5.1 mi) Daqiaotou to Fu Jen University section passed final inspections by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.^[9] It opened for service on January 5, 2012.^[2] On its first full day of service, the line served 82,000 passengers.^[10] The line is expected to serve 100,000 passengers daily.

Construction

The line passes underneath Taiwan Railway and Taiwan High Speed Rail tunnels between Songjiang Nanjing and Zhongxiao Xinsheng. Construction involved the excavation and removal of a multi-retaining wall.^[11] The two transfer stations at Minquan West Road and Zhongxiao Xinsheng were built as extensions beneath the present operational stations.^[6] The clearing of the shield tunneling section beneath the Tamsui River was successfully achieved on November 6, 2007.

Construction included a turnout and cut-and-cover tunnels beneath Daqiao Elementary School. However, since evacuation of these two segments reached 40 and 34 meters, respectively, high water pressure could affect construction safety. Thus, a ground-freezing method was employed to ensure construction safety.^[12]

The Xinzhuang is the first line in Taiwan to adopt Floating Slab Track (FST) construction techniques to decrease noise and vibration when a train passes.^[13] It can decrease natural vibration frequency below 18 Hz and lower maximum noise volume to less than 35 decibels.^[14] On the Xinzhuang/Luzhou Lines, there are 18 sections totaling 4.476 km of track that utilize FST construction techniques.^[15]

Construction inspection for the line began in April 2011 for the section from Huilong to Taipei Bridge, as well as at Dongmen.^[16] The inspection included civil engineering, tracks, machinery, power/electricity, and station facilities.

Losheng Sanatorium

Protestors calling for the demolition of the Losheng Sanatoriumm, March 2007

Originally projected for completion at the end of 2009, construction of the line was delayed due to controversy surrounding the Losheng Sanatorium. The original plan for construction of the line and a train maintenance depot at the site obliged residents of the sanatorium to move and adjust to new habitats. A July 2008 bill passed by Taiwan's Legislative Yuan awarded NT$720 million to the sanatorium patients as compensation for adjustment difficulties, while construction plans were revised to preserve 90% of the compound and reserve 40 of the 55 buildings at the site for patients.

By December 2008, the maintenance depot's opening date was pushed back to August 15, 2012. As of July 2013, the Xinzhuang Depot is expected to be finished in January 2018.^[5][17]

Stations

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taipei Metro Xinzhuang Line.

• Luzhou Branch Line
• Losheng Sanatorium

References

Taipei Metro Routes Wenhu Neihu Wenshan Tamsui-Xinyi Tamsui Xinyi Xinbeitou Branch Songshan-Xindian Songshan Xiaonanmen Xindian Xiaobitan Branch Zhonghe-Xinlu Xinzhuang Zhonghe Luzhou Bannan Nangang Banqiao Tucheng Yellow Circular [u/c; planned] North-South [planned] Light Rail Shezi [planned] Danhai [planned] Ankeng [planned] Sanying [planned] Heavy Rail Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin [u/c; planned] Juguang Branch [u/c] Minsheng-Xizhi [planned] Donghu Branch [planned]