Transportation Deployment Casebook/2025/Taipei MRT

Introduction The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system is the most efficient and rapid way for people to travel around, it operates in the metropolitan areas of Taipei and New Taipei City, and connects to Taoyuan Airport. The MRT system has currently completed 152.3 kilometres with seven main lines: Wenhu line, Tamsui-Xinyi line, Bannan line, Songshan-Xingdian line, Zhonghe-Xinlu line, Circular line, and Taoyuan Airport MRT lineSystems Department of Rapid Transit 2023-04-27 Department of Rapid Transit Systems https://english.dorts.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=F5C47899DE0D7088&sms=8322BFADF7763832&s=527F4F3E88F32449 2025-03-04 Department of Rapid Transit Systems English. The MRT is continuously planning and implementing, with the plans for future expansion, the MRT will eventually cover approximately about 235 kilometres . It serves a population of over 6.5 million people, comprising about 2.5 million residents in Taipei city Taipei City IGES https://www.iges.or.jp/en/vlr/taipei 2025-03-05 www.iges.or.jp en and over 4 million residents in New Taipei City Government New Taipei City 2017-01-25 Introduction https://foreigner.ntpc.gov.tw/home.jsp?id=3d145d2a095e211d 2025-03-04 New Taipei City Government English. Before the Taipei MRT Before the introduction of the Taipei MRT, Taipei and New Taipei City relied on various transport modes, including buses, taxis, trains, private vehicles, motorcycles, and active transport. Each had limitations: Buses: Shared roads with private vehicles, making travel times unpredictable due to congestion. Trains: Only had two stations in both Taipei and New Taipei City, unsuitable for daily commuting. Private vehicles & Motorcycles: The most popular transport modes but contributed to road congestion. Active Transport (Walking & Cycling): Available but limited infrastructure—few cycle paths and narrow walkways made them inconvenient and unsafe. The introduction of the Taipei MRT helped reduce traffic congestion and improve connectivity between Taipei and New Taipei City, offering a more reliable and efficient public transport alternative. Technology To build Taipei MRT system, the first metro system in Taiwan, the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) brought together a team of first-class engineers from various fields, including transportation, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The Taipei MRT system is a modern metro network that serves Taipei and New Taipei City. It consists of several high-capacity, electrified rail lines operating primarily on a steel-wheel-on-steel-rail system, ensuring smooth and efficient transport. Essential technological characteristics include: Driverless operation: The Wenhu line (Brown line) is fully automated, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing labor costs. Electrification: The MRT operates using a 750V DC third rail (for most lines) and overhead catenary (for Wenhu line), providing a reliable power supply. Smart Ticketing: Taipei MRT introduced an integrated fare system using the EasyCard, which can be easily transfers between MRT, buses, and YouBike. Also provide one-day passes and 24/48/72hr Taipei Metro Passes for passengers. Corporation Taipei Rapid Transit 2013-12-05 Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation https://english.metro.taipei/cp.aspx?n=BECC2E7AC426F659 2025-03-09 Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation English Platform Doors: Installed in underground stations to improve passenger safety and system efficiency. Main advantages of the Taipei MRT include reduced congestion, improved air quality, and enhanced urban mobility by offering a fast, efficient alternative to road-based transport. +Table 1: Different technical used in all lines.LineComprisePassengersMaximum SpeedControl modeWheelsWenhu (Brown)Corporation Taipei Rapid Transit 2013-12-05 Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation https://english.metro.taipei/cp.aspx?n=E6F97A6FF9935E98&s=46C82585DF5AD507 2025-03-04 Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation EnglishConsists of two pairs of trains, each pair of trains has 2 cars, a total of 4 cars42080 km/hFully automated, driverlessRubber tiresTamsui-Xinyi (Red) Consists of two sets of 3-car EMUs, for a total of six cars167280 km/hOperates by driver under the signal systemSteel-wheel on steel-railBannan (Blue) Consists of two sets of 3-car EMUs, for a total of six cars167280 km/hOperates by driver under the signal systemSteel-wheel on steel-railSongshan-Xingdian (Green) Consists of two sets of 3-car EMUs, for a total of six cars167280 km/hOperates by driver under the signal systemSteel-wheel on steel-railZhonghe-Xinlu (Orange) Consists of two sets of 3-car EMUs, for a total of six cars167280 km/hOperates by driver under the signal systemSteel-wheel on steel-railCircular (Yellow)2023-11-07 A Preview of the MRT Circular Line North & South Section EMU Design Aesthetics https://english.cmo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=2B847F3050D24569&sms=DFFA119D1FD5602C&s=FF406E1C4B87BFEC 2025-03-05 Taipei City Construction Management Office enEMU train with four carriages65070 km/hDriverlessSteel-wheel on steel-railTaoyuan Airport MRT (Purple) Tamaki, H. (2016, September). EMU for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System. Kawasaki Technical Review, 177. https://global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/rd/magazine/177/pdf/n177en11.pdfCommuter: four-car (DM-M-M-DM) Express: five-car (DM-M-M-M-DMB)Commuter: DM: 261 M: 278 Express: DM: 207 M: 216 DMB: baggage100 km/hOperates by driverSteel-wheel on steel-rail Market After the Taipei MRT opened, it has significantly changed travel patterns, serving over 2 million passengers daily. It mainly served passengers traveling between Taipei's and New Taipei's central business districts and residential areas. The early market segments included: Office workers: Reduced travel time of daily commuting. Students: Convenient transportation to schools and universities results in high usage among students. Tourists: Links to major commercial and cultural districts promote retail and tourism development. The continuous expansion of MRT into suburban areas is expected to attract even more passengers in the future. Additionally, the MRT has a well-integration with other public transportation modes, such as high-speed rail, train services, buses, and YouBike (bike-sharing program in Taiwan), has further increased travel demand and enhanced its connectivity Taipei MRT Rapid Transit Subway (台北捷運) https://guidetotaipei.com/article/taipei-mrt-rapid-transit-subway-%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E6%8D%B7%E9%81%8B 2025-03-06 Guide to Taipei.com en. Policy In Taiwan, most of the public transportation modes allow eating and drinking, but Taipei MRT is an exception, banning food and beverages onboard. This policy helps maintain a clean environment and prevents food crumbs that could attract insects or small animals, which might damage the automated systems 2023-08-10 Why eating is banned on Taipei Metro Taiwan News Aug. 10, 2023 17:03 https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/4968008 2025-03-05 taiwannews.com.tw en. In order to comply with the Ministry of Transportation's policies, the Taipei Metro AFC ticketing system is being planned. This requires the use of a card to achieve the goal of passenger can easily transfer between each public transportation system and active transportation (YouBike: bike-sharing program). The Taipei Metro AFC system will be integrated with electronic ticketing systems such as EasyCard, I Cash Card, Happy Card, and I Pass Card. Taipei City Government. (2019, December 25). What’s the planning for a multiple application smart card system for the future Taipei MRT automatic fare collection (AFC) system. Taipei City Government. https://english.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=ADAE9018C6CFA1FE&s=9A8B1EAB4460586D The integrated ticketing and fare policy aims to encourage the use of multimodal transport and facilitate seamless transfers between the Taipei MRT, buses and YouBike. Growth of Taipei MRT Important timeline Department of Budget、Accounting & Statistics, Taipei City Government. (2020, November 4). Taipei Metropolitan Area MRT Line Engineering Design and Main Equipment. Data.gov.tw. https://data.gov.tw/dataset/132590 thumb|2004 Taipei MRT route map Initial network (First phase) 1996/03/28 - Muzha line (Brown): Taipei Zoo station - Zhongshan Junior High School station 1997/12/25 - Tamsui line (Red): Tamsui station - Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station 1998/12/24 - Zhonghe line (Orange): Nanshijiao station - Guting station 1999/11/11 - Xindian line (Green): Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station - Xindian station 2000/08/31 - Xiaonanmen line (Green): Ximen station - Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station 2000/12/30 - Nangang line (Blue): Kunyang station - Ximen station 2006/05/31 - Banqiao line (Blue): Ximen station - Fuzhong station 2006/05/31 - Tucheng line (Blue): Fuzhong station - Yongning station 2009/07/04 - Neihu line (Brown): Zhongshan Junior High School station - Nangang Exhibition Centre station Subsequent Network (Expansion projects) 2010/11/03 - Luzhou line (Orange): Sanchong Elementary School station - Luzhou station 2011/02/27 - Nangang line East extension (Blue): Kunyang station - Nangang Exhibition Centre station 2013/06/29 - Xinzhuang line (Orange): Guting station - Huilong station 2013/11/24 - Xinyi line (Red): Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station - Xiangshan station 2014/11/15 - Songshan line (Green): Ximen station - Songshan station 2015/07/06 - Tucheng line extension (Blue): Yongning station - Dingpu station 2017/03/02 - Taoyaun Airport MRT line (Purple): Taipei Main station - Linkuo station 2020/01/31 - Circular line phase 1 (Yellow): Dapinglin station - New Taipei Industrial Park station thumb|2023 Taipei MRT route map Future Network (Expansion projects) 2024/12 (expected, not started yet) - Xinyi line East extension (Xiangshan station - Guangci/Fengtian Temple station) 2025/12 (expected) - Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin line (phase 1): Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station - Depot 2028/09 (expected) - Circular line North & South Sections: New Taipei Industrial Park station - Jiannan Road station, Taipei zoo station - Dapinglin station 2028/12 (expected) - Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin line (phase 2): Zhonghe high school station - Huilong station +Table 2: Taipei MRT Travel demandYearObserved Market size Corporation Taipei Rapid Transit 2018-02-11 Ridership Counts https://english.metro.taipei/cp.aspx?n=C702FF0562802D53 2025-03-09 Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation EnglishPredicted Market size19973108139513490092919986073778215298226619991269521221729011462000268716740194689128200128964271421833735920023244335572437894412003316189628270935906200435014195629961120220053607298033295939972006384003220360611364200741622968539234701920084500244154244532552009462472351456565732201050546645048831983020115664044895193670192012602199342549389733201363496108357811341320146795064016053148822015717511818630826666201673999016665453742320177460665566763890322018765470127696371132201978959901471451403720206956507777308808502021531120335745559535202258725785275865547320237101855787702848682024741824511780569184 Using the S-curves to represent the data of the passenger volume, using the life cycle model represent by the equation: where: f = S(t)/K represent the fractional share of technology S(t) = technology's size in year t and K = final market size) t = time a, b = model parameters The formula of S(t) can identify the final market size(K): : midpoint year (inflection time) Then, use the 3-parameter logistic function to analyse the data: The results are shown in Table 3 below: +Table 3: Excel RegressionParameterValueIntercept -303.9969b0.151392RSQ0.774792t_i=c/-b2008.017 Analysis the change of passengers volume thumb|Taipei MRT observed passengers and predicted passengers from 1997 to 2024 Early Stage (1996-2006): Initial Expansion Taipei MRT began operations in March, 1996 with the Muzha (Wenhu) Line. The early ridership growth was steady as passengers shifted from buses and private vehicles to the MRT. Expansion of major lines (Tamsui-Xinyi, Bannan) led to increased connectivity and market penetration. Passenger volume steadily increased as new lines opened, and system reliability improved. Typhoon Nari flooded the Banqiao to Nangang areas, causing damage to the MRT system on 2001/08/31. The MRT was suspended for several days. After 2002/03/07, the Bannan (Blue) line, Tamsui (Red) line, Xindian (Green) line and Zhonghe (Orange) all resumed their typhoon-related services. 2013-10-21 TAIPEI RAPID TRANSIT CORPORATION ─ Company Information https://web.archive.org/web/20131021154247/http://english.trtc.com.tw/np.asp?ctNode=11755&mp=122032 2025-03-09 web.archive.org Growth Phase (2006-2019): Network Expansion Major lines started to operate, include the completion of the Xinzhuang Line (2010), Luzhou Line (2010), and Songshan Line (2014). Ridership saw consistent year-on-year growth. Integration with YouBike and expansion of buses services contributed to increased usage. Government policies promoting transit-oriented development (TOD) led to higher population density near MRT stations, further increasing ridership. COVID-19 Impact and Recovery (2020-2023) There is a sharp decline in ridership occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions. The lowest point was observed around 2021, when passenger numbers fell by nearly 50%, due to the quarantine and locked down policy. Recovery began in 2021, people started to coexist with COVID-19. By 2023, ridership had rebounded but remained slightly below pre-pandemic levels, as the pandemic changed working patterns and working from home became more popular. Future Prospects (2024 and Beyond) Continued network expansion with new planned lines and extensions (e.g., Circular Line Phase 2 and Taoyuan Airport MRT connection), which is expected to attract more passengers. Maturity and future prospects As the system matures and the travel demand growth, Taipei MRT faces new challenges: Expanding into underserved suburbs to accommodate with population growth. Digital service upgrades, including real-time tracking, mobile ticketing. Sustainable transportation: Promoting green infrastructure such as solar-powered stations and energy-efficient trains when expanding the Taipei MRT network. Provide express service on high-demand stations to reduce journey times. References