The New Taipei City Department of Transit Systems has proposed a new subway line connecting densely populated parts of New Taipei City to the eastern part of downtown Taipei to make it easier to travel between the two areas.
The proposal, called the “Jhonghe-Guangfu Line (中和光復線),” would connect Xiulang Bridge Station in New Taipei City and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station in Taipei, department head Lee Cheng-an (李政安) told the New Taipei City Council on Tuesday.
The proposal was sent to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Monday, Lee said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Based on existing subway lines, it takes 31 minutes plus the time needed to make two transfers to get from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to Xiulang Bridge.
The proposed line, with connections to the Brown, Red and Blue MRT lines, would be 8km long, heading north from Xiulang Bridge to Gongguan before traveling in a northeastern direction from Gongguan to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Although Lee did not say how long it would take to cover the 8km, he said that the new line would help Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station handle more traffic, an important feature given that the nearby Taipei Dome is about to open.
The proposed line would transport passengers from the area more quickly, by giving people who live in suburban areas south of Taipei a faster way to get home, he said.
The New Taipei City Government originally proposed a subway line between Jhonghe and Gongguan in August last year due to a growing population and demand for transportation infrastructure in those two areas, he said.
After further discussion with the Taipei Department of Transit Systems, the New Taipei City Government put forward a new proposal that extended the route to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station.
Railway Bureau Director-General Young Cheng-chun (楊正君) yesterday said that the central government has to approve the proposal before detailed planning of the line can begin.
He said that his agency would conduct a review as soon as possible after receiving the proposal.
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