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| Taipei Rapid Transit System (Metro Taipei) | |
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| Locale | Metropolitan Taipei |
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Began operation | March 28, 1996 |
| System length | In service: 74.4 km Total: 76.6 km |
| No. of lines | 8 |
| No. of stations | 67 |
| Daily ridership | 1,214,728 (in November 2007) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge) |
| Operator | Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) |
| Taipei Rapid Transit System | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese: | 台北大眾捷運系統 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Metro Taipei | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese: | 台北捷運 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Taipei Rapid Transit System (traditional Chinese: 台北大眾捷運公司), 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.
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.Taipei Metro Rating. Taipei Rapid Transit System (2007-11-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-22..
According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Centre of Imperial College Railway And transport strategy centre (rtsc)., 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.
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 the currently constructing phase 2 of the system estimated to cost US$13.8 billion. Since its completion, 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.
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 integrate into the MRT are underway.
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 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 and connects the two previously completed north-south lines.
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. However, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the project was a success. The system has since become an essential part of life in Taipei.
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.TRTC Network and System. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (2007-10-05). Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
In September 2007, TRTS achieved daily ridership of 1,100,357 riders.Daily ridership counts: September 2007. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (2007-10-05). Retrieved on 2007-10-18. In terms of daily ridership, TRTS is larger than Washington D.C.\'s Metrorail (564,000 in FY 2006) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (322,965 in FY 2006) 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.
Taipei MRT Route Map (Routes in revenue service)
Taipei MRT Route Map (Tongyong Pinyin), (Hanyu Pinyin).
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)
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 Xindian Line and Danshui Line. In addition, trains from 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), which is a form of smart card, 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.
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 |
Arrival and departure
The Taipei Metro provides an obstacle-free environment within the entire system, all stations and trains are handicapped accessible. Features include:
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 for the increasing amount of passengers, all metro stations have replaced the turnstiles to 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.
When the final phase of construction is complete, each platform will serve only one line. However, in the meantime, some stations serve trains on 2 or more lines. Information about the next train is given on the LCD TV panel.
Key transfer stations, including the Taipei Main Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing station, also have platform gates to prevent passengers or objects falling onto the rail.
The TRTC owns many shopping centres and malls around its stations, including:
In the initial network, important stations such as intersection stations, terminals and stations with heavy passenger flow, were chosen for the installation of public arts. The principles behind the location 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, window displays etc. 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. Department of Rapid Transit (doc). DORTS. Retrieved on 13 November, 2007.
Connections to the Taiwan High Speed Rail, Taiwan Railway Association Trains and Shuttle buses are available at Taipei Main Station.
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.
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 special announcements occasionally. The overall computer-controlled system is known as Automatic Train Control (ATC). 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 all of the appropriate 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.
| 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 1-51Actually set number. MP stands for married pair. Cars in the 2-car set share the same road number. | 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 (DMDM: motor car with cab.) 2001-2044 (TT: trailer car.) 3001-3044 (MM: motor car without cab.) | All Heavy- Capacity Lines | 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)2 C301 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types. 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)2 C321 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types. 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)2 C341 sets per train in revenue service, not mixable with other car types. 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,Cars 3397-3399 also have cabs. C371 single sets 397-399 currently run on Xinbeitou Branch Line and Xiaobitan (Siaobitan) Branch Line. 3401-3466 (M) | All Heavy- Capacity Lines | 3-Car Set (DM-T-M)2 C371 sets per train in revenue service except Sets 397-399, which can run as single sets. Not mixable with other car types Set no.: 301-338, 397-399, 401-466 |
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Wanfang Hospital station entrance
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| Taipei Rapid Transit System Routes | |
|---|---|
| ■ Brown | Neihu Line - Muzha Line |
| ■ Red | Danshui Line - Xinbeitou Branch Line - Xinyi Line |
| ■ Orange | Xinzhuang Line - Luzhou Branch Line - Zhonghe Line |
| ■ Yellow | Circular Line |
| ■ Green | Songshan Line - Xiaonanmen Line - Xindian Line - Xiaobitan Branch Line |
| ■ Blue | Nangang Line - Banqiao Line - Tucheng Line |
| ■ Light Rail | Shezi Light Rail - Danshui Light Rail - Ankheng Light Rail - Sanying Line |
| ■ Purple | Taoyuan Intl. Airport Access MRT System |
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