Circular light rail

The Circular light rail (Chinese: 環狀輕軌) is a light rail line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, operated by Kaohsiung Rapid Transit.[5] The south part of this line makes use of the defunct tracks of the Kaohsiung Harbour Line.

Circular light rail
CAF Urbos trams parked at Cianjhen Star
Overview
Native name
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese環狀輕軌
TypeLight rail
SystemKaohsiung Rapid Transit
StatusOperational
LocaleKaohsiung, Taiwan
TerminiLizihnei
Hamasen
Stations14
ServicesLizihnei–Hamasen
Daily ridership9499[1]
Ridership3,364,578 (2018)
Websitekrtco.com.tw
Operation
Opened2016-07-04[2]
OwnerKaohsiung City Government
Operator(s)Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation
CharacterGround level, elevated
Depot(s)Cianjhen Depot
Rolling stockCAF Urbos[3]
Technical
Line length22.1 km (13.7 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationElectric capacitor
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph) maximum[4]
Map
 
Lizihnei
 Kaisyuan Rueitian
 Cianjhen Star
Kaisyuan
(  R  )
 Kaisyuan Jhonghua
 Dream Mall
Commerce & Trade Park
 Software Technology Park
 Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
 Cruise Terminal
 Glory Pier
Love River
 Love Pier
Dayi Pier-2
 Penglai Pier-2
 Hanmasen
Sizihwan
(  O )
 Wufu 4th Rd
 Dagong Rd
 Singlong Rd
( West Coast)
 Gushan
 Jiouru 4th Rd
 Museum of Fine Arts
(West Coast )
 Museum of Fine Arts West
 Art Park
 Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital
 Longde Rd
 Kaohsiung City Hall
Aozihdi
(  R  )
 Longhua Junior High School
 Wanzihnei
Love River
 Dingshan
 Jiansing Rd
 Dashun Jiouru
Science and Technology Museum
( West Coast )
 Universal Cinemas
Wukuaicuo
(  O  )
 Rainbow Park
 Minsheng Hospital
 Kuochi Vocational High School
 Wuchang Rd
 Ersheng Rd
 Depot
C1 Station (March 9, 2015)
C3 station (August 27 2016)
C11 station (July 22 2017)
Future C4 station approximate location in July 2013.
Future C8 station approximate location in July 2013. Old railway, used as a bikepath.

Forecast to cost 16.5 billion New Taiwan dollars, it is expected be the world's first light rail vehicle system on a fully catenary-free route.[6][7]

Phase I construction consists of a section of line from Station C1 to Station C14, where Stations C3 and C14 are the transfer stations to Red line and Orange line, respectively. Construction of Phase I began on 4 June 2013.[8] Stations C1 to C14 were tested from August 2015 (rides on the trams are open to the public for free during testing[9]). The civil construction part of stations C1 to C14 had been completed, and Phase I achieved full operations on September 2017.[10][11] The CAF Urbos trams used in this line parked at or passed by these stations for demonstrations and tests in several events from November 2014 onwards.

Phase II construction will not start until the Kaohsiung urban railway is relocated underground in 2017. It is scheduled to be completed in 2019.[6]

Stations
CodeStation NameSectionConnectionLocation
EnglishChinese
— ↑ Loop line towards Depot ↑ —
C1Lizihnei籬仔內 Phase I  Fongshan  CianjhenKaohsiung
C2Kaisyuan Rueitian凱旋瑞田
C3Cianjhen Star前鎮之星  R  via Kaisyuan (R6)
C4Kaisyuan Jhonghua凱旋中華
C5Dream Mall夢時代
C6Commerce and Trade Park經貿園區
C7Software Technology Park軟體園區
C8Kaohsiung Exhibition Center高雄展覽館
C9Cruise Terminal旅運中心 Lingya
C10Glory Pier光榮碼頭
C11Love Pier真愛碼頭 Yancheng
C12Dayi Pier-2駁二大義
C13Penglai Pier-2駁二蓬萊 Gushan
C14Hamasen哈瑪星  O  via Sizihwan (O1)
C15Wufu 4th Rd.五福四路 Phase II
C16Dagong Rd.大公路
C17Singlong Rd.興隆路
C18Gushan鼓山 Gushan
C19Jiouru 4th Rd.九如四路
C20Museum of Fine Arts Station美術館 Museum of Fine Arts
C21AMuseum of Fine Arts West美術館西
C21Art Park美術園區
C22Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital聯合醫院
C23Longde Rd.龍德路
C24Kaohsiung City Hall新市政中心  R  via Aozihdi (R13)
C25Longhua Junior High School龍華國中 Zuoying
C26Wanzihnei灣仔內 Sanmin
C27Dingshan鼎山
C28Wanzihnei灣子內
C29Jiansing Rd.建興路
C30Dashun Jiouru大順九如 Science and Technology Museum
C31Universal Cinemas環球影城  O  via Wukuaicuo (O8) Lingya
C32Rainbow Park彩虹公園  O  via Wukuaicuo (O8)
C33Minsheng Hospital民生醫院
C34Kuochi Vocational High School國際商工
C35Wuchang Rd.武昌路 Cianjhen
C36Ersheng Rd.二聖路
C37Depot機廠
— ↓ Loop line towards Lizihnei ↓ —

Rolling stock
Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System Circular light rail CAF Urbos

The line's fleet consist of nine CAF Urbos trams that will operate catenary-free.[7] The tramway cars are 34 meters (112 ft) in length, and will be able to transport a total of 250 passengers (seated, and standing).[6]

15 Alstom Citadis X05 305 trains will be introduced in 2018. The first train will arrive in Taiwan in September 2018.

LRT C8 Station and the 85 Sky Tower

Ticket

Unlike the Kaohsiung MRT Red Line and the Orange Line, the Kaohsiung Light Rail is charged at a lower rate. As of January 2019, the fare for each light rail is NT$30. There is special offer by using the digital wallet (such as iPass, EasyCard, icash, etc.) is NT$10. Card readers are available at each station and inside of tramway. When paying the fare by the e-ticket (digital wallet), passengers are only charged one of them at each time. When paying by cash, passengers can purchase tickets at the ticket vending machines at each station for the ticket inspector to check.

Previous light rail demonstration project
The Siemens Combino vehicle was used for light rail demonstration at Central Park, Kaohsiung in 2004.

In 2004, the Kaohsiung City Government and Siemens built a temporary two-station circular light rail line in Central Park, operated by a single trainset, in order to demonstrate the feasibility of building a light rail system in Kaohsiung City. It was meant to alleviate some residents' concerns that light rail would negatively impact their surroundings by producing excessive noise and hindering normal traffic flow. This Siemens Combino vehicle would later become the D2 Class operated in Melbourne, Australia.

See also

References
  1. "Transport statistics". stat.motc.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  2. "領先全台 高雄輕軌4日正式通車 | 社會". 新頭殼 Newtalk (in Chinese). 4 July 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  3. "Kaohsiung picks CAF to build catenary-free trams". Railway Gazette International. 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  4. "KAOHSIUNG LRV". CAF. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  5. "Light Rail System - Project Content". Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  6. "Trams: Kaohsiung Launches Taiwan's First Light Rail Service". Kaohsiung City Government. 2015-01-08. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  7. "Trams: KAOHSIUNG TRAMWAY". CAF. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  8. "Kaohsiung begins circular light rail construction". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  9. Tim Berge (2015-10-16). "Kaohsiung LRT Opens to Public". ICRT FM.100. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  10. "About Taiwan". Info Taiwan. 2014-03-17. Archived from the original on 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  11. James Chuang (2015-06-08). "Kaohsiung light rail line set to go full circle". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
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