Taiwan's first "Kaohsiung Light Rail" to open in August, free rides until mid-next year

▲The Kaohsiung Light Rail will open in August. (Photo / from the Kaohsiung Incredible fan page)

Reported by Tsai Wen-jun / Taipei

The long-awaited first light rail line in Taiwan, the "Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail," is expected to begin trial operations in August. Wu Jiachang, the director-secretary of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation, stated that free rides for the public are planned until mid-2016.

While construction of the Kaohsiung Light Rail is in full swing, it has also entered a series of static and dynamic testing phases, Wu Jiachang pointed out.The initial section of the Kaohsiung Light Rail to open in August will run from C1 Lizihnei Station to C8 Kaohsiung Exhibition Center Station, and will be free for the public to try. It is expected that the first phase of the light rail (from C1 to C14 stations) will be fully operational by mid-2016..

Wu Jiachang said,Free trial rides during the test operations are expected to continue until mid-2016,allowing the public to become familiar with how to ride the light rail, while also helping motorists and motorcyclists get accustomed to road conditions with the new light rail in operation.

▲The Kaohsiung Light Rail is currently undergoing a series of dynamic tests. (Photo / from the Kaohsiung Incredible fan page)

Regarding the fare, which is of most concern to the public, Wu Jiachang said the light rail is inclined to adopt a flat-rate fare system, and passengers will be able to use electronic ticketing cards to swipe and ride on the onboard card readers. However, as the fare still needs to be reviewed by the Fare Review Committee, the exact price has not yet been determined, but it will generally be set between the prices of buses and the MRT.

The first phase of the Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail route spans 8.7 kilometers, starting from Kaisyuan Road, passing through Kaisyuan 4th Road and Chenggong 2nd Road, then along Sando 5th Road and Haibin Road, crossing the Love River Bridge to reach the MRT Xiziwan Station, with a total of 14 stations. The train is approximately 34 meters long and 2.65 meters wide, with a capacity of about 250 passengers. It adopts a 100% low-floor design and a catenary-free system to create a more user-friendly riding environment.