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Taipei Metro (also known as Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and branded as Metro Taipei) is a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
system operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation serving the capital
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
and
New Taipei City New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in regions of Taiwan, northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 4,004,367 as of January 2023, making it the most populous city in Taiwan, a ...
in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. It was the first
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
system to be built on the island. The initial network was approved for construction in 1986, and work began two years later. It began operations on 28 March 1996, and by 2000, 62 stations were in service across three main lines. Over the next nine years, the number of passengers had increased by 70%. Since 2008, the network has expanded to 131 stations and the passenger count has grown by another 96%. The system has been praised by locals for its effectiveness in relieving growing traffic congestion in Taipei and its surrounding satellite towns, with over eight million trips made daily.


History


Proposal and construction

The idea of constructing a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
system on the island was first put forth at a press conference on 28 June 1968, where the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced its plans to begin researching the possibility of constructing such a network in the
Taipei metropolitan area , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Countr ...
; however, the plan was shelved due to financial concerns and the belief that such a system was not urgently needed at the time. With the increase of
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...
accompanying economic growth in the 1970s, the need for a rapid transit system became more pressing. In February 1977, the Institute of Transportation (IOT) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) released a preliminary rapid transport system report, with the designs of five lines: U1, U2, U3, S1, and S2, to form a rough sketch of the planned corridors, some of which would be converted from single-tracked
Taiwan Railways Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) was a governmental agency in Taiwan which operated Taiwan Railway from 1948 to 2023. It managed, maintained, and operated conventional passenger and freight Rail transport, railway services on of track. Pa ...
(TRA) branch lines, resulting in the first rapid transit system plan for Taipei. In 1981, the IOT invited British Mass Transit Consultants (BMTC) and to form a team and provide in-depth research on the preliminary report. In 1982, the Taipei City Government commissioned
National Chiao Tung University National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) was a public research university in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Established in 1896 as Nanyang Public School by an imperial edict of the Guangxu Emperor, it was one of China's leading universities. After the Chinese ...
to do a research and feasibility study on medium-capacity rapid transit systems. In January 1984, the university proposed an initial design for a medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taipei City, including plans for the Wenhu line and the Tamsui–Xinyi line. The pre-1985 plans would have retained the 3 ft 6 in gauge of the TRA lines and the rolling stock design would have conformed to TRA and Japanese narrow-gauge standards. On 1 March 1985, the
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
Council for Economic Planning and Development A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
(CEPD) signed a treaty with the Taipei Transit Council (TTC), composed of three American consultant firms, to conduct overall research on a rapid transit system in Taipei. Apart from adjustments made to the initial proposal, such as the move to standard gauge track and wider and longer rolling stock for the high-capacity lines, Wenhu line was also included into the network. In 1986, the initial network design of the Taipei Metro by the CEPD was passed by the
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
, although the network corridors were not set yet. A budget of NT$441.7 billion was allocated for the project. On 27 June 1986, the Preparatory Office of Rapid Transit Systems was created, which on 23 February 1987 was formally established as the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) for handling, planning, designing, and constructing the system. Apart from preparing for the construction of the metro system, DORTS also made small changes to the metro corridor. The six lines proposed on the initial network were: Tamsui line and Xindian line (Lines U1 and U2), Zhonghe Line (Line U3), Nangang Line and Banqiao Line (Line S1), and Muzha line (now Wenhu line), totaling 79 stations and route length, including of elevated rail, at ground level, and underground. The Neihu Line corridor was approved in 1990. On 27 June 1994, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) was formed to oversee the operation of the Taipei Metro system. The
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
approved the initial network plan for the system on 27 May 1986. Construction began on 15 December 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.


Opening and Initial network

The system opened on 28 March 1996, with the elevated , a driverless, medium-capacity line with twelve stations running from to . The first high-capacity line, the , began service on 28 March 1997, running from to , then extended to at the end of the year. On 23 December 1998, the system passed the milestone of 100 million passengers.


1999–2006 Expansions

On 24 December 1999, a section of the was opened between and . This section became the first east–west line running through the city, connecting the two previously completed north–south lines. On 31 May 2006, the second stage of the Banqiao–Nangang section and the Tucheng section began operation. The service was then named Bannan after the districts that it connects (Banqiao and Nangang).


Maokong Gondola

On 4 July 2007, the Maokong Gondola, a new aerial lift/cable-car system, was opened to the public. The system connects the , , and Maokong. Service was suspended on 1 October 2008 due to erosion from mudslides under a support pillar following Typhoon Jangmi. The gondola officially resumed service as of 31 March 2010, after relocation of the pillar and passing safety inspections.


2009–2014 expansions

On 4 July 2009, with the opening of the Neihu segment of , the last of the six core segments was completed. Due to debate on whether to construct a medium-capacity or high-capacity line, construction of the line did not begin until 2002. was extended from to and in 2012. The Xinyi section of and Songshan section of were opened on 24 November 2013 and 15 November 2014 respectively. Prior to 2014, only physical lines had official names; services did not. In 2008, all full-run and short-turn services were referred to by termini while Bannan and Wenhu services were referred to by the physical lines on which they operated. Following the completion of the core sections of the system in 2014, the naming scheme for services was set and 'lines' started to refer to services. Between 2014 and 2016, lines were given alternative number names based on the order of the dates the lines first opened. Brown, Red, Green, Orange and Blue lines were named lines 1 to 5 respectively. The planned Circular, Wanda–Shulin and Minsheng–Xizhi lines were to be lines 6 to 8 respectively. In 2016, the number names were replaced by colour names. Today, on-board announcements in Chinese use full official names, whereas in English, colour names are used instead. In June 2023, due to an increasing number of South Korean tourists, the metro announced the addition of Korean announcements at stations where there are high amounts of tourists. On 3 April 2024, following a magnitude 7 earthquake hitting the island, all active MRT trains were suspended for safety checks to be conducted. All Taipei Metro routes resumed operations later that day.


Timeline of services


Lines

The system is designed based on the spoke-hub distribution paradigm, with most rail lines running radially outward from central Taipei. The MRT system operates daily from 06:00 to 00:00 the following day (the last trains finish their runs by 01:00), with extended services during special events (such as New Year festivities). Trains operate at intervals of 1:30 to 15 minutes depending on the line and time of day. Smoking is forbidden in the entire metro system, while eating, drinking, and chewing gum and betel nuts are forbidden within the paid area. Stations can become extremely crowded during rush hours, especially at transfer stations such as , , and . Automated station announcements are recorded in
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, English, Taiwanese, and
Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...
, with Japanese at busy stations. Japanese coverage across the network was expanded on 24 August 2023. Select stations also received
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
announcements to accommodate for the high influx of South Korean tourists to the
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
. Subsequently, announcement order was changed to Mandarin, English, Japanese, Korean, then Taiwanese and Hakka.


Fares and tickets

Fares range between –65 per trip as of 2018.
RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...
single journey tokens and rechargeable IC cards (such as the
EasyCard The EasyCard () is a contactless smartcard system operated by the EasyCard Corporation (previously the Taipei Smart Card Corporation) for electronic money, payment on the Taipei Metro, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since ...
and the iPASS), as well as NFC-based mobile payments (only
Google Wallet Google Wallet (or simply Wallet) is a digital wallet platform developed by Google. It is available for the Android, Wear OS, and Fitbit OS operating systems, and was announced on May 11, 2022, at the 2022 Google I/O keynote. It began rollin ...
and
Samsung Wallet Samsung Wallet (, or simply Wallet) is a digital wallet platform developed by Samsung. It is available for the Samsung Galaxy-exclusive One UI Android operating system, and was announced on February 9, 2022, at the February 2022 Samsung Unpa ...
) are used to collect fares for day-to-day use.


Discounts and Cocessions

A 20% discount was given to all IC card users, but it was cancelled at the start of February 2020. The discount program was instead switched to an intensity-based scheme. The more times passengers take the MRT, the higher the level of discount they could receive. From February 2020 until February 2025, the following rebate scheme was used: 10% discount for 11–20 rides; 15% discount for 21-30 rides; 20% discount for 31–40 rides; 25% discount for 41-50 rides; and 30% off for more than 50 rides. Effective March 2025, the rebate scheme was modified as follows: 5% discount for 11–20 rides; 10% discount for 21–40 rides; and 15% off for more than 40 rides. The discount is considered a rebate and the rebate from a previous month is deposited to the user's card on the first ride of each month; the rebate must be collected within 6 months. Those with welfare cards issued by local governments could receive 60% off per ride. Children aged 6 or over pay adult fares. Other ticket types include passes, joint tickets with other services and tickets for groups and discounts for YouBike rentals at the Taipei Main Station.


Ticketing System

Turnstiles of Taipei Metro are being replaced by the end of 2025 to enable contactless bank card and QR code payments.


Infrastructure

The Taipei Metro provides an obstacle-free environment within the entire system; all stations and trains are handicap accessible. Features include: handicap-capable restrooms, ramps and elevators for wheelchairs and strollers, tactile guide paths, extra-wide faregates, and trains with a designated wheelchair area. Beginning in September 2003, the English names for Taipei Metro stations were converted to use
Hanyu pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means ' Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin'' literally ...
before the end of December, with brackets for
Tongyong Pinyin Tongyong Pinyin was the official romanization of Taiwanese Mandarin, Mandarin in Taiwan between 2002 and 2008. The system was unofficially used between 2000 and 2002, when a new romanization system for Taiwan was being evaluated for adoption. ...
names for signs shown at station entrances and exits. However, after the conversion, many stations were reported to have multiple conflicting English station names caused by inconsistent conversions, even for stations built after enactment of the new naming policy. The information brochures (臺北市大眾捷運系統捷運站轉乘公車資訊手冊) printed in September 2004 still used Wade–Giles romanizations. To accommodate increasing passenger numbers, all metro stations have replaced
turnstile A turnstile (also called a gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce One-way traffic#One-way traffic of people, one-way ...
s with speed gates since 2007, and single-journey magnetic cards have been replaced by
RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...
tokens. TRTS provides free mobile phone connections in all stations, trains, and tunnels and also provides WiFi WLAN connections at several station hotspots. The world's first
WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options. The WiMA ...
-service metro trains were introduced on the in 2007, allowing passengers to access the internet and watch live broadcasts. Several stations are also equipped with mobile charging stations.


Platforms

Most underground stations have
island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
configurations while a few have
side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
configurations. Most elevated and at-grade stations have side platform configurations, while a few have island platform configurations. All high-capacity metro stations have a long platform to accommodate all six-train cars on a typical metro train (with the exception of ). The width of the platform and concourse depends on the volume of transit; the largest stations include
Taipei Main Station Taipei Main Station () is a major metro and railway station in the capital Taipei, Taiwan. It is served by Taipei Metro, the Taiwan High Speed Rail, and Taiwan Railway. It is also connected through underground passageways to Taipei main stati ...
, , and . Some other transfer stations, including , , and , also have wide platforms. Several stations have a
cross-platform interchange A cross-platform interchange is a type of Interchange station, interchange between different lines at a metro (or other railway) station. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly ...
: Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Guting, Dongmen and Ximen. Both lines' tracks in one direction use the lower floor, while both lines' tracks in the other direction use the upper floor. Dongmen station is unique in that the directions of travel on each floor are reversed, so that there's a cross-platform interchange when travelling between the city center and the suburbs. Each station is equipped with LED displays and LCD TVs both in the concourse and on the platforms which display the time of arrival of the next train. At all stations, red lights on or above automatic platform gates at stations flash prior to a train arrival to alert passengers and an arrival melody would play (except on the and certain elevated and at-grade stations). Similarly, before platform screen doors were retrofitted, stations would have lights on the edges of platforms which would flash upon a train's arrival. This can still be seen on other metro systems such as the
Washington Metro The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ...
. As of September 2018, all stations have automatic platform gates. Before 2018, all the stations on the Wenhu line and most stations on the , as well as a few stations on other lines, were equipped with
platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail ...
. A Track Intrusion Detection System had also been installed to improve passenger safety at stations without platform doors. The system uses
infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...
and
radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
detectors to monitor unusual movement in the track area.


Signalling

When the Muzha Line first opened in 1996, the line was initially equipped with
automatic train operation Automatic train operation (ATO) is a method of operating trains automatically where the driver is not required or is required for supervision at most. Alternatively, ATO can be defined as a subsystem within the automatic train control, which pe ...
(ATO) and
automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
(ATC), which in turn comprised
automatic train protection Automatic train protection (ATP) is the generic term for train protection systems that continually check that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects ...
(ATP) and automatic train supervision (ATS); in particular the ATP relied on transmission coils and wayside control units whereas the ATO relied on dwell operation control units. The transmission coils are controlled by the Control Centre to ensure safety of the line and were positioned on the guideway. Among such coils included the PD loop, safety frequency loop, stopping program loop, vehicle station link and station vehicle link; these loops were cross-arranged to produce electromagnetic induction with the interval between two cross points being 0.3 seconds to both monitor the train and control its speed. However this fixed-block ATC system used on the Muzha Line was plagued with problems in its early years of operation and was replaced with the new moving-block
Cityflo 650 CBTC ''CITYFLO'' 650 signalling is a CBTC system designed by Bombardier Transportation and later Alstom. It makes use of bi-directional radio communication between trains and wayside equipment, as well as true moving block technology, to contro ...
that was supplied by
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...
of Canada for the Neihu Line. On the other hand, the heavy-capacity lines use the traditional fixed block system design, which were initially supplied by General Railway Signal of
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
, for the
Tamsui Tamsui District () is a seaside district in New Taipei City, Taiwan adjacent to the Tamsui River and overlooking the Taiwan Strait. The name of the district means "fresh water" in Chinese. Although modest in size (population 189,271), Tamsui ...
, Xindian, Zhonghe, and Bannan lines; and later by
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
for the Tucheng, Xinzhuang, Luzhou, Xinyi and Songshan lines. Key components of the system include impedance bond, 4-foot loops, marker coils, alignment antennae and two-aspect light signals for the wayside as well as automatic train supervision which utilises centralized traffic control.


Public art

In the initial network, important stations such as transfer stations, terminal stations, 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: , , , , , , , , , , , Songshan Airport, , , and . Stations with art galleries include , , , and . station contains a small archeological museum.


Other facilities

In addition to the rapid transit system itself, Taipei Metro operates several public facilities such as underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares in and around stations, including: * Zhongshan Metro Mall: – – (815 m, 81 shops). * Taipei main station underground mall: on floor B1 of the station. * Taipei New World Shopping Center: Between the metro and
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to: Biology * TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus * Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer * Tra gene, a transfer gene * Triple rel ...
sections of Taipei Station. * Station front metro mall: West of Taipei main station, beneath Zhongxiao W Road. *
Taipei City Mall Taipei City Mall () is a shopping center located at the intersection of the Datong and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan. It is the first underground market in Taipei City. It is located under Civic Boulevard (市民大道 ''Shìmín Dàd� ...
: Northwest of Taipei main station, beneath Zhengzhou Rd and Civic Blvd. * East Metro Mall: Between and (825 m, 35 shops). * Ximen Underground Mall: north of (currently used as an office building and library). * Longshan Temple Underground Mall: north and south sides. * Global Mall: floors B1 to 2F. As of 2022 there are 229 shops within the stations themselves.


Transit

Transfers to city bus stations are available at all metro stations. In 2009, transfer volume between the metro and bus systems reached 444,100 transfers per day (counting only
EasyCard The EasyCard () is a contactless smartcard system operated by the EasyCard Corporation (previously the Taipei Smart Card Corporation) for electronic money, payment on the Taipei Metro, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since ...
users). Connections to
Taiwan Railway Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) was a governmental agency in Taiwan which operated Taiwan Railway from 1948 to 2023. It managed, maintained, and operated conventional passenger and freight railway services on of track. Passenger traffic ...
and
Taiwan High Speed Rail Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
trains are available at , and . Connections to
Taipei Bus Station The Taipei Bus Station () is a multi-use complex located next to Taipei Station in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiw ...
and Taipei City Hall Bus Station are available at and stations, respectively. The Maokong Gondola is accessible from .
Taipei Songshan Airport Taipei Songshan Airport is a city airport and military airbase located in Songshan District, Taipei, Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The airport covers an area of . The civilian section of Songshan Airport has scheduled flights to domestic ...
is served by the station. A
metro system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tu ...
to connect Taipei to
Taoyuan International Airport Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (Traditional Chinese: 臺灣桃園國際機場) is the main international airport serving Taiwan, particularly the northern region and Taipei. Located in Dayuan District, Dayuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Taoyuan, ...
has also been available since March 2017. Connections with
New Taipei Metro New Taipei Metro () is a transit system serving New Taipei City, New Taipei, Taiwan, operated by . The Danhai light rail, Ankeng light rail, and Circular line (New Taipei Metro), Circular line are currently in operation, while the Sanying line i ...
is also available, specifically with Circular line and Danhai LRT.


Rolling stock

All rolling stocks on the Taipei Metro are
electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
s, powered by a
third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a track (r ...
at 750 volts direct current. Each train is equipped with
automatic train operation Automatic train operation (ATO) is a method of operating trains automatically where the driver is not required or is required for supervision at most. Alternatively, ATO can be defined as a subsystem within the automatic train control, which pe ...
(ATO) for a partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.


Medium-capacity trains

The medium-capacity trains of are broad gauge rubber-tired trains with no onboard train operators but are operated remotely by the medium-capacity system operation control center. It initially used a fixed-block
automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...
(ATC) system. Each train consists of two 2-car
electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
(EMU) sets, with a total of 4 cars. The Wenhu line is the only line on the system to have no open-gangway carriages, meaning that passengers cannot move between carriages when the train is moving. The was initially operated with VAL 256 trains cars, where two VAL 256 cars in the same set would share 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 with 202 INNOVIA APM 256 train cars, to install the CITYFLO 650 moving-block
communications-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accura ...
(CBTC) system to replace the fixed-block ATC system and also to retrofit the existing 102 VAL 256 cars with the CITYFLO 650 CBTC system. Integration of Bombardier's trains with the existing proved to be difficult in the beginning, with multiple system malfunctions and failures during the first three months of operation. Retrofitting older trains also took longer than expected, as the older trains must undergo several hours of reliability tests during non-service hours. The VAL 256 trains resumed operations in December 2010.


Heavy-capacity trains

The heavy-capacity trains have steel wheels and are operated by an on-board train operator. The trains are computer-controlled. The operator, who is both driver and conductor, is responsible for opening and closing the doors and making (not all) announcements. Most announcements are pre-recorded in Mandarin, English, Hokkien and Hakka, with Japanese and Korean at busy stations. The ATC provides the functions of ATP, ATO and ATS and controls all train movements, including braking, acceleration and speed control, but can be manually overridden by the operator in case of an emergency. Newer
trains A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...
also use a Train Supervision Information System (TSIS) supplied by
Mitsubishi Electric is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1921 as a spin-off from the electrical machinery manufacturing d ...
that allows the operator to monitor the conditions of the train and identify any faults. Each train consists of two 3-car
Electric Multiple Unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
(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 full-width cab, T is a trailer car and M is the motor car without cab. Each motor car has four 3-phase AC
traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains. Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...
s. The configuration of a 6-car train is DM–T–M+M–T–DM, not interchanged with other car types. Like many contemporary metro rolling stock designs such as the MOVIA by Bombardier, each train features open gangways, allowing passengers to move freely between cars. All carriages of the heavy-capacity trains are wide by high, and have a total capacity of 368 passengers, 60 of which seated. Their design maximum speed is , which is limited to in service. The first digit of a DM car is 1, while that of a T car is 2 and that of an M car is 3. This digit then follows the three digits of the set number. For example, C301 set 001/002 consists of carriages 1001-2001-3001+3002-2002-1002. 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 first digit being 3. These single sets run exclusively on the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan branch lines. Before the C371 single sets were in revenue service on 22 July 2006, the M cars of C301 sets 013/014 were converted to temporary cab cars to run the Xinbeitou branch. In 2010, the new C381 was built for Taipei Metro to cope with increasing passenger ridership and the expansion of its network route. Upon entering service on 7 October 2012, three C381 trainsets are servicing the Beitou – Taipower Building segment of the Tamsui and Xindian Lines, with the remaining fleet being put into service on 20 October 2012. These trains provided much-needed capacity increase when the Xinyi and Songshan extensions opened in late 2013. After November 2014, the C381 trains are serving both and . Whereas the earlier heavy capacity train types have largely retained the same design, the C381 sets are more distinctive with double blue stripes and the re-positioning of the logo from the driver's door to well below the passenger's windows, right on the stripe. Also placed were the more "sleeker" cab and the new advertising screens (as seen in newer Japanese commuter trains such as the
E233 series The is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design. The first train was introduced in December 2006 for use on the Ch� ...
) to improve energy efficiency, although it retains the same propulsion as the C371s. In March 2024, it was announced that seven additional trains (42 cars) would be built by
Hyundai Rotem Hyundai Rotem Company, often referred to as Hyundai Rotem (), is a South Korean manufacturer of railway rolling stock, railway signalling, defense products and plant equipment. It is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and has presence in more than ...
and introduced between 2026 and 2028 to further cope with increasing passenger ridership. These trains are expected to contain fewer seats per carriage, but in turn increase total capacity per carriage.


Fleet roster


Medium-capacity fleet


Heavy-capacity fleet


Engineering trains

Taipei Metro also uses a fleet of specialised trains for
maintenance of way Maintenance of way (commonly abbreviated to MOW, also known as "Permanent Way Maintenance" or "PWM" in Britain) refers to the maintenance, construction, and improvement of rail infrastructure, including tracks, ballast, grade, and lineside infras ...
purposes:


Depots

The system currently has 9 depots, with more under construction. File:Taipei Metro C301 and C381 trains at Beitou Depot 01.jpg, Beitou Depot stabling tracks File:Taipei MRT Beitou Depot 04.jpg, Train wash at Beitou Depot File:Rail service vehicles at Taipei Metro Beitou Depot.jpg, Engineering trains stabled at Beitou Depot File:Taipei MRT Beitou Workshop 02.jpg, Inside Beitou Depot File:Taipei MRT Xindian Depot1.jpg, Xindian Depot building File:Taipei MRT Xindian Depot Rails.jpg, Xindian Depot stabling tracks File:2020 Luzhou Depot i.jpg, Entrance of Luzhou Depot File:2020 Luzhou Depot.jpg, Luzhou Depot File:A corner of Nangang depot.jpg, Nangang Depot reception and stabling tracks File:TRTC Muzha Depot overview 20100405.jpg, Birds-eye view of Muzha Depot File:C370 VAL256 in Muzha Depot 20090712.jpg, Trains stabled at Muzha Depot File:Neihu Depot main gate view from Jingmao 1st Road 20140216.jpg, Entrance of Neihu Depot


Reception

Taipei Metro is one of the most expensive rapid transit systems ever constructed, with phase one of the system costing US$18 billion and phase two estimated to have cost US$13.8 billion. Despite earlier controversy, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the metro project was a success, and it has since become an essential part of life in Taipei. The system has been effective in reducing
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...
in the city and has spurred the revival of
satellite town A satellite city or satellite town is a smaller municipality or settlement that is part of (or on the edge of) a larger metropolitan area and serves as a regional population and employment center. It differs from mere suburbs, subdivisions a ...
s (like
Tamsui Tamsui District () is a seaside district in New Taipei City, Taiwan adjacent to the Tamsui River and overlooking the Taiwan Strait. The name of the district means "fresh water" in Chinese. Although modest in size (population 189,271), Tamsui ...
) and development of new areas (like Nangang). The system has also helped to increase average vehicle speed for routes running from
New Taipei New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in regions of Taiwan, northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 4,004,367 as of January 2023, making it the most populous city in Taiwan, a ...
into
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
. Property prices along metro routes (both new and existing) tend to increase with the opening of more lines. Since the Taipei Metro joined the Nova International Railway Benchmarking Group and the Community of Metros (Nova/
CoMET A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...
) in 2002, it has started collecting and analysing data of the 33 Key Performance Indicators set by Nova/
CoMET A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...
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. According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Center at
Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...
, and data gathered by Nova/CoMET, the Taipei Metro has ranked number 1 in the world for four consecutive years in terms of reliability, safety, and quality standards (2004–2007). The most congested route sections handle over 38,000 commuters per hour during peak times. On New Year's Eve 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, the Metro system transported 2.17 million passengers in 42 consecutive hours. On 22 April 2010 after 14 years of service, the system achieved the milestone of 4 billion cumulative riders. On 29 December 2010, the system passed the benchmark of 500 million annual passengers for the first time. The record for single day ridership hit 2.5 million passengers during the New Year's Eve celebrations on 31 December 2010. Following opening of the Xinyi section of , the system reached another record of 2.75 million passengers on 31 December 2013. In May 2016, the Singapore Transport Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, said that his country's rail operators,
SBS Transit SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
and SMRT, should emulate the example of Taipei Metro. Speaking at a rail engineering forum, he cited the Taipei Metro's timely maintenance and replacement of assets, as well as its fast response to rail network problems. Khaw said the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with the TRTC to attach staff from SBS and SMRT to its metro workshops, so they can learn from its asset maintenance practices and engineering improvements.


Future expansions

Several lines are planned to be added to the network.


Phases 2 and 3 of the Circular line

Phase 2 of the Circular line is under construction and planned to be completed in June 2031. Phase 2 consists of a northern and southern section. The northern section will continue from to . This section will service Wugu,
Luzhou Luzhou ( zh, s=泸州, p=Lúzhōu; Sichuanese Pinyin: Nu2zou1; Minjiang dialect, Luzhou dialect: ) is a prefecture-level city located in the southeast of Sichuan Province, China. It is also known as the "Liquor City" (). It was named Jiangyang () ...
, Sanchong, Shilin, and Neihu. The southern section will continue from to and will mainly service Wenshan. Upon reaching a year before completion of Phase 2 of the Circular line, the Circular line will be handed back to Taipei Metro from
New Taipei Metro New Taipei Metro () is a transit system serving New Taipei City, New Taipei, Taiwan, operated by . The Danhai light rail, Ankeng light rail, and Circular line (New Taipei Metro), Circular line are currently in operation, while the Sanying line i ...
. Phase 3 has begun construction in 2025 and is expected to finish in 2032. Phase 3 consists of the eastern section, which will connect and in Phase 2, making the line a complete loop.


Wanda–Zhonghe–Shulin line (Light Green line)

Wanda–Zhonghe–Shulin is a metro line under construction. Phase 1 will run from to Juguang, Zhonghe, New Taipei. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in 2027. Phase 2 will connect Zhonghe Senior High School, the previous station of Juguang, to , making the part between Zhonghe Senior High School and Juguang a branch line. The entire line is expected to be fully completed around late 2028.


Minsheng–Xizhi line (Sky Blue line)

Minsheng–Xizhi is a planned metro line. As of February 2011, New Taipei has been pursuing the construction of the 17.52-km Minsheng–Xizhi line, though the most recent plan was rejected by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, citing the need for further evidence for the line's viability. The city plans to re-submit the proposal, and the project is estimated to cost NT$42.2 billion (US$1.44 billion). A possible 4.25-km extension of the line to connect with the planned
Keelung Keelung ( ; zh, p=Jīlóng, c=基隆, poj=Ke-lâng), Chilung or Jilong ( ; ), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan. The city is part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area with neighboring New Ta ...
light rail is also being considered. The line is planned to be built partially underground and partially elevated. It will begin from Dadaocheng Harbour beneath Minsheng West Road in Taipei, run along Minsheng East and West Roads, pass through Minsheng Community and journey under the Keelung River towards the Neihu District. The line will then change to an elevated mode and reach its termini at Xintai 5th Road in Xizhi District, New Taipei City. As of May 2018, the proposal for this line has been submitted to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, but has yet to be approved.


Network map


Safety and security


2001 typhoon flooding

On 17 September 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 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.


2014 stabbing attack

On 21 May 2014, 28 people were stabbed in a mass stabbing by a knife-wielding college student on the . The attack occurred on a train near , resulting in 4 deaths and 24 injured. It was the first fatal attack on the metro system since it began operations in 1996. The suspect was 21-year-old Cheng Chieh (鄭捷), a university student at
Tunghai University Tunghai University (THU; ) is a private university in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan, established in 1955. It was founded by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA). The university is known for its liberal arts educati ...
, who was arrested at immediately after the incident. On 6 March 2015, Cheng Chieh was found guilty on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, and was sentenced to death. He was subsequently executed on 10 May 2016.


Controversies

In early 2021, it was discovered that a
pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, adult films, blue films, sexually explicit films, or 18+ films, are films that represent Human sexual activity, sexually WIKT:explicit, explicit subject matter in order to sexual arousal, arouse, fasci ...
production company had created a series of sets which copied the design of MRT trains and stations. This caused a brief stir when it was first released as many were concerned that the films had been shot on actual MRT trains and stations. Nevertheless, it was still condemned by Taipei MRT for imitating its train carriages. On 30 December 2021, Taipei MRT rejected an
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
advertisement which featured detained human rights activist Lee Ming-che.


See also

* Maokong Gondola *
Rail transport in Taiwan Rail transport in Taiwan consists of (as of 2015) of railway networks. Though no longer as dominant as it once was, rail transport is an extremely important form of transportation in Taiwan due to high population density, especially along the ...
* Lists of rapid transit systems *
List of metro systems This list of metro systems includes electrified rapid transit train systems worldwide. In some parts of the world, metro systems are referred to as subways, undergrounds, tubes, mass rapid transit (MRT), metrô or U-Bahn. 204 cities in 65 cou ...


Notes


Words in native languages


References


External links

* *
Taipei Future Rail Network Map

Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation – official website

Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems

Taipei City Government – official website


at ''UrbanRail.net'' (archived 26 July 2019) {{Authority control Rail transportation in Taipei Underground rapid transit in Taiwan 1996 establishments in Taiwan 750 V DC railway electrification