2016 Taipei MRT Stays Open All Night on New Year’s Eve – Three Routes to Avoid Traffic Jams When Leaving

By MOOK Travel Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 
To celebrate the arrival of 2016, a New Year’s Eve countdown event will be held at Taipei City Hall Plaza on December 31, bringing everyone together to ring in the new year in high spirits. To help ease the post-event crowd, the Taipei MRT will, as usual, operate non-stop for 42 hours (from 6:00 AM on December 31, 2015, to midnight on January 1, 2016, excluding Xiaobitan Station and Xinbeitou Station) and the Maokong Gondola will also extend its operating hours until 2:00 AM, remaining in service until all passengers have been transported.It is recommended to make good use of the three major MRT lines — Ban-Nan Line, Tamsui-Xinyi Line, and Songshan-Xindian Line — for a smooth New Year’s celebration and a joyful welcome to the New Year’s Day holiday.

The evacuation plan will still rely primarily onthe Ban-Nan Line, Tamsui-Xinyi Line, and Songshan-Xindian Line,working together to accompany travelers through the night. The Taipei MRT has devised a simple strategy: “spread out your routes and use these three lines to exit.” Passengers can choose nearby stations and take either the Ban-Nan Line or Tamsui-Xinyi Line to get there. Note that Taipei City Hall Station on the Ban-Nan Line and Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, being close to the countdown venue, will be very crowded. It is advisable to get off earlier at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station or Xinyi Anhe Station and walk to the event. After the event ends, you can use the “three-line exit” strategy — the Ban-Nan Line, Tamsui-Xinyi Line, and Songshan-Xindian Line —and try to walk to one of the five stations on these lines (Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station, Yongchun Station, Xinyi Anhe Station, Xiangshan Station, and Nanjing Sanmin Station) to board the train, avoiding the crowds at Taipei City Hall Station and Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station.

To handle the large number of participants, Taipei MRT has adjusted the intervals between trains. The shortest interval on the Ban-Nan Line has been reduced to 2 minutes and 27 seconds, and on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, it is 3 minutes. Starting from 5:00 PM on December 31, trains departing from either Tamsui or Beitou will extend their routes to Xiangshan Station.
 
● New Year’s Eve MRT Line Adjustments:
◎ Ban-Nan Line
Train intervals are about 2 minutes and 32 seconds, with the shortest interval reaching 2 minutes and 27 seconds, continuing until crowd dispersal is complete.
◎ Tamsui-Xinyi Line
Starting at 5:00 PM on December 31, all Tamsui-Xinyi Line trains will extend their routes to Xiangshan Station, with an average interval of about 3 minutes.
◎ Songshan-Xindian Line
Train intervals are about 6 to 8 minutes (with overlapping section between Songshan Station and Tai Power Building Station being about 3 to 4 minutes), and intervals may be adjusted flexibly based on crowd conditions.
◎ Zhonghe-Xinlu Line
Train intervals are about 6 to 8 minutes (with overlapping section between Nanshihjiao Station and Daqiaotou Station being about 3 to 4 minutes), and intervals may be adjusted flexibly based on crowd conditions.
◎ Wenhu Line
Train intervals are about 2 to 3.5 minutes, and intervals may be adjusted flexibly based on crowd conditions.

● Tips for Entering and Leaving the Event:
As December 31 (Thursday) is a regular work and school day, it’s a good idea to plan your route using a nearby MRT station.
Getting to the event
◎ Ban-Nan Line
(1) From Banqiao, Xinzhuang, Luzhou, or the urban section of the Songshan Line: Take the Ban-Nan Line.
(2) From Neihu or Nangang areas: Go to Nangang Exhibition Center Station and transfer to the Ban-Nan Line.
◎ Tamsui-Xinyi Line
(1) From Tamsui, Xindian, or Zhongyonghe areas: You can take or transfer to the Tamsui-Xinyi Line directly.
(2) From Wenshan area: You can transfer to the Tamsui-Xinyi Line at Da’an Station.
The show ends
◎ Ban-Nan Line
(1) For those heading to Banqiao, Xinzhuang, or Luzhou areas: You may enter at National Father Memorial Hall Station.
(2) For those heading to Neihu or Nangang areas: You may enter at Yongchun Station.
◎ Tamsui-Xinyi Line
For those heading to Tamsui or Zhongyonghe areas: You may enter at Xinyi Anhe Station or Xiangshan Station.
◎ Songshan-Xindian Line
For those heading to Xindian area: You may enter at Nanjing Sanmin Station.