New Taipei City Light Rail Construction: Four Routes Progressively Pushed Forward

(Taiwan Business News) The New Taipei City Government held the "New Taipei City Light Rail Construction Forum" on the 24th. Deputy Mayor Chen Shen-hsien stated that light rail routes are an important part of New Taipei City's MRT construction. In the future, there will be light rail plans for Danhai, Ankeng, Wugu and Bali, among which the 13.99 km Danhai Light Rail was approved by the central government in February of year 102, and New Taipei City immediately launched related operations, with construction to begin successively from August; the Ankeng Light Rail is currently undergoing comprehensive planning and can soon be submitted to the central government for review, seeking central government approval; the feasibility study for the Wugu Taishan Light Rail was submitted to the central government for review on April 22, and the feasibility study for the Bali Light Rail will continue to be promoted. It is hoped that the construction of the light rail network can be completed as soon as possible to realize the vision of low-carbon, sustainable urban development.

Zhao Shaolian, Director-General of the New Taipei City Transportation Department, stated that considering that the Taipei metropolitan area already has 4 types of operational or under-construction high-capacity and medium-capacity MRT systems, if the core electromechanical systems of each future light rail route in New Taipei City cannot be integrated and remain independent, it will create a situation in which light rail routes are operated and maintained separately, which will inevitably increase the difficulties and cost pressures of light rail route operation and maintenance.

Therefore, subsequent planning will be based on a single core electromechanical system for the overall network, expanding the economic scale of light rail core electromechanical system procurement, simplifying the electromechanical system to reduce equipment installation, operation and maintenance costs, and promoting a shared depot plan to reduce depot floor area and land acquisition costs, thereby reducing public complaints.