Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team, compiled and reported
The Taoyuan Airport MRT, originally set to open in March 2016, has once again been delayed—this marks the sixth delay in total. The opening date has been postponed repeatedly. As the train tests failed to meet the engineering contract standards, the earliest possible opening date has been pushed back to the end of the year. Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Tseng Ta-jen bowed and apologized to the public at a press conference.
The opening date of the Taoyuan Airport MRT has been extended once again. (Photo provided by / High-Speed Rail Bureau)
In August 2015, the Taoyuan Airport MRT announced that it would open in March 2016. However, as the current average train speed, travel time, and service frequency still do not meet the contractual requirements, six items of the Pre-Revenue Service Readiness (PRSR) testing remain incomplete, and crucial tasks such as simulation drills and initial site inspections have yet to be carried out. As a result, the goal of opening by the end of March is now confirmed to be unachievable.
Aside from sending multiple formal letters to Japanese contractor Marubeni Corporation urging them to resolve the issue as soon as possible in accordance with the contract, the High-Speed Rail Bureau also reported to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which sought assistance from the Japanese government through diplomatic channels. Marubeni recently sent senior executives to Taiwan, stating that the aforementioned train speed improvement work is expected to be completed by the end of June.
The airport MRT differs from other domestic MRT systems, operating with a mix of express and local trains, and includes train overtaking and yielding operations. It also provides check-in and luggage check-in services for outbound passengers at Taipei Station (A1), making the project highly challenging. The High-Speed Rail Bureau will urge the contractor to continue working on improving train speeds. Once the relevant procedures are confirmed to be complete, it will work with the operating entity to carry out the remaining six pre-operational tests—including stability testing and simulation drills—as originally planned. Only after ensuring the system is stable and safe based on professional assessments will it report to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to proceed with the initial site inspection.
【Info】
Taoyuan Airport MRT
Length: 53.07 km
Number of stations: 22 stations (Taipei Station – Zhongli Huanbei Station)
Travel time: Approximately 35 minutes from Taipei Station to Taoyuan Airport on the express train; around 50 minutes on the local train.
Features: Taipei Station offers passengers pre-flight check-in services, making travel to Taoyuan Airport more convenient.