Zhonghe–Xinlu line

The Zhonghe–Xinlu or Orange line (code O) is a metro line in Taipei operated by Taipei Metro, named after the districts it connects: Zhonghe, Xinzhuang and Luzhou. The line starts at Nanshijiao in Zhonghe, passes through central Taipei, then splits into two branches: one to Huilong in Xinzhuang, and one to Luzhou.

Zhonghe–Xinlu line
Daqiaotou station platform
Overview
Other name(s)Orange line
TypeRapid transit
StatusIn service
Locale Taipei and New Taipei, Taiwan
TerminiLuzhou, Huilong
Nanshijiao
Stations26
ServicesZhonghe Line,
Xinzhuang Line,
Luzhou Line
Operation
Opened1998-12-24[lower-alpha 1]
Operator(s)Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation
Rolling stockKawasaki C371 stock
Technical
Line length29.3 km (18.2 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
ElectrificationThird rail (750 volts DC)
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map



Xinzhuang depot
(under construction?)
( Taoyuan Metro brown line to Taoyuan)
( Wanda–Zhonghe–Shulin line to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall)
Huilong
Danfeng
Fu Jen University
Xinzhuang
Touqianzhuang
Xianse Temple
Erchong Floodway
Sanchong
Cailiao
Taipei Bridge
Luzhou Depot
Luzhou
( New Taipei Metro Wugutaishan light rail )
Sanmin Senior High School
St. Ignatius High School
Sanhe Junior High School
Sanchong Elementary School
Daqiaotou
Minquan West Road
( Tamsui-Xinyi Line )
Zhongshan Elementary School
Xingtian Temple
Songjiang Nanjing
( Songshan-Xindian Line )
( TRA West Coast Line )
( THSR )
Zhongxiao Xinsheng
( Bannan Line )
(Tamsui-Xinyi Line to Xiangshan )
Dongmen
( Tamsui-Xinyi Line to Tamsui)
( Songshan-Xindian Line to Songshan)
Guting
(Songshan-Xindian Line to Xindian )
Dingxi
Yongan Market
Jingan
Zhonghe Depot
Nanshijiao
Zhonghe–Xinlu line
Traditional Chinese中和新蘆線
Simplified Chinese中和新芦线
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese橘線
Simplified Chinese橘线

The southern section between Nanshijiao and Guting opened in 1998. Due to heavy traffic for residents in the districts of Luzhou and Sanchong travelling in and out of central Taipei, a metro line was planned to meet this urgent need.[1] The line would eventually consist of two branches which connects to Guting via central Taipei. The extension fully opened in 2012.

History

On June 1992, the construction of Zhonghe Line began. It was the most difficult and arduous one among all lines of Taipei metro. The tunnels running through Zhonghe-Yonghe area had to pass under narrow streets, skyscrapers and crowded blocks, with limited spaces for underground station above ground. As a result, the whole neighborhood traffic had its so-called "Dark Ages" when the Cut-and-cover method was used for station platforms, concourses and crossovers during the 1990s. Besides the river-crossing section, the work suffered from biogas below the waterfront. After the construction, Zhonghe Line became more costly than all the other lines, 6,249 million NT dollars per kilometer.[2]

Since the line opened for service on 24 December 1998, it has been the most important access to downtown Taipei for nearly half a million of commuters who live in the district.

On 15 January 2011, Dongmen Station was still under construction while the track for the section from Zhongxiao Xinsheng to Guting (which passes through Dongmen Station) had already been laid.[3] At the time, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation Vice Bureau Chief Chang Pei-yi noted that there was a possibility of opening the line for service while skipping both Dongmen and Guting stations, thus allowing for through service on the Orange Line.[3] However, this did not occur. The section opened for service on 30 September 2012 along with Dongmen Station.

On 18 December 2011, the 8.2 km (5.1 mi) Daqiaotou to Fu Jen University section passed final inspections by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.[4] It opened for service on 5 January 2012.[5] On its first full day of service, the line served 82,000 passengers.[6] The line is expected to serve 100,000 passengers daily.

As of April 2016, the Xinzhuang Depot was still under construction and expected to be finished in January 2018, completing the Xinzhuang Line.[7]

Although the line was called the Luzhou Branch Line during construction, the name was changed to simply the Luzhou Line before it opened for service.

  • 2002: The Luzhou and Xinzhuang lines begin construction as part of Phase II development of the Taipei Metro.[8]
  • September 2007: Track laying begins for the Luzhou Line.
  • 25 September 2008: Since track laying has been completed for the Luzhou Line, tracks are laid for the segment of the Xinzhuang Line within Taipei.
  • 1 April 2009: Train testing begins for the Luzhou Line and the segment of the Xinzhuang Line within Taipei.
  • 22 August 2009: It is announced that although the line was to come into operation before the Spring Festival of 2010, due to malfunctions in the Neihu Line, service for the line would be pushed back to September 2010.[9]
  • 24 April 2009: The Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) denies saying that the line would open before the Spring Festival in 2010. The Executive Yuan sets the line to begin service by 31 December 2010. DORTS says it will push forward with an anticipated September 2010 opening date.[10]
  • 2 March 2010: DORTS says that the line is planned to open by 1 September 2010 in order to coincide with the Flora Expo. It will use the Taoyuan International Airport MRT's power as backup, so that by November 2010 the Xinzhuang Line can begin train testing through Touqianzhuang.[10]
  • May 2010: Construction for Sanchong Elementary School, Sanhe Junior High School, Luzhou, and Luzhou Depot is completed. Construction for Sanmin Senior High School and St. Ignatius High School is finishing up.
  • 30 June 2010: Construction finishes on all stations.
  • July 2010: Train testing begins.
  • September 4–5, 2010: The Luzhou Line and Xinzhuang Line city portion (to Zhongxiao Xinsheng) undergoes initial public testing.[11]
  • 3 November 2010: The line opens for service with the opening of the Luzhou to Zhongxiao Xinsheng section.[12] A free trial period for the line ran until 2 December 2010.[8]
  • 3 December 2010: The line began revenue service.[8]

Impact

Since its first three weeks after opening, the line (along with the Xinzhuang Line section) had reached a total ridership of over 3 million passengers, with an average of 157,000 passengers per day.[13] It is expected to cut travel time between Luzhou and Taipei by at least half,[14] with travel time between Luzhou and Taipei Main Station cut down to 17 minutes.[15] The system surpassed an annual ridership of 500 million for the first time on 29 December 2010, widely attributed to the opening of the new line.[16] The line has been effective in relieving congestion, with a 24% increase in average vehicle speed crossing Taipei Bridge (to Taipei) during rush hour since the opening of the line.[17] During the initial one-month trial, bus routes that ran parallel to the metro route experienced a 40% decrease in ridership, although bus ridership is expected to rise again after the end of the free trial.[18]

In anticipation of the opening of the new line, property prices along the route have risen by 36% since 2008.[19] Although small businesses along the line (most notably in Zhongshan and Datong, two older districts) have benefited from increased business during the free trial period, analysts noted that the initial business boon may only be short-lived and it may be years before these areas see real benefits as a result of the new line.[20]

Rolling stock

Over the years, three versions of rolling stock were used on this line, as well as on the through services between Nanshijiao and Beitou. Originally, the line used a large fleet of C301 train sets. In 1999, only a few C341 train sets were used. In 2007, some C371 train sets were introduced. Today, the entire fleet used on this line is the C371 train sets after the original C301 train sets were confined to the Tamsui and Xindian Lines upon the opening of Dongmen Station on 30 September 2012.

Services

As of December 2017, the typical off-peak service is:

Stations

Code Image English name Chinese name Districts Branch Travel time to previous station (s)[21] Stop time at station (s)[21] Date opened Notes
O01 Nanshijiao 南勢角 Zhonghe Main n/a n/a 1998-12-24
O02 Jingan 景安 Zhonghe Main 103 25 1998-12-24 Change for Circular line
O03 Yongan Market 永安市場 Yonghe, Zhonghe Main 88 25 1998-12-24
O04 Dingxi 頂溪 Yonghe Main 100 25 1998-12-24
O05 Guting 古亭 Daan, Zhongzheng Main 187 40 1998-12-24 Change for Songshan–Xindian line
O06 Dongmen 東門 Daan, Zhongzheng Main 192 35 2012-09-30 Change for Tamsui–Xinyi line
O07 Zhongxiao Xinsheng 忠孝新生 Daan, Zhongzheng Main 118 35 2010-11-03 Change for Bannan line
O08 Songjiang Nanjing 松江南京 Zhongshan Main 114 35 2010-11-03 Change for Songshan–Xindian line
O09 Xingtian Temple 行天宮 Zhongshan Main 75 35 2010-11-03
O10 Zhongshan Elementary School 中山國小 Zhongshan Main 89 35 2010-11-03
O11 Minquan West Road 民權西路 Datong, Zhongshan Main 72 45 2010-11-03 Change for Tamsui–Xinyi line
O12 Daqiaotou 大橋頭 Datong Main 75 35 2010-11-03
O13 Taipei Bridge 台北橋 Sanchong Huilong[lower-alpha 2] 115 25 2012-01-05
O14 Cailiao 菜寮 Sanchong Huilong 93 25 2012-01-05
O15 Sanchong 三重 Sanchong Huilong 84 25 2012-01-05 Change for Taoyuan Airport MRT
O16 Xianse Temple 先嗇宮 Sanchong Huilong 142 25 2012-01-05
O17 Touqianzhuang 頭前庄 Xinzhuang Huilong 105 25 2012-01-05 Change for Circular line
O18 Xinzhuang 新莊 Xinzhuang Huilong 93 25 2012-01-05
O19 Fu Jen University 輔大 Xinzhuang Huilong 130 25 2012-01-05
O20 Danfeng 丹鳳 Xinzhuang, Taishan Huilong 110 25 2013-06-29
O21 Huilong 迴龍 Guishan, Xinzhuang Huilong 159 n/a 2013-06-29 Terminus of Huilong branch
O50 Sanchong Elementary School 三重國小 Sanchong Luzhou 148[lower-alpha 3] 30 2010-11-03 Connects to Daqiaotou
O51 Sanhe Junior High School 三和國中 Sanchong Luzhou 104 30 2010-11-03
O52 St Ignatius High School 徐匯中學 Luzhou Luzhou 82 30 2010-11-03
O53 Sanmin Senior High School 三民高中 Luzhou Luzhou 87 30 2010-11-03
O54 Luzhou 蘆洲 Luzhou Luzhou 110 n/a 2010-11-03

Notes

  1. Current form opened on 5 January 2012
  2. known as Xinzhuang line by DORTS
  3. to Daqiaotou

References

  1. "Introduction to the MRT Luzhou Line". Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation. 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  2. 《都市捷運:規劃與設計(下)》,張志榮著
  3. "捷運趕通車 蘆洲線擬跳東門接古亭". The Liberty Times. 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  4. "MRT Xinzhuang line passes final inspection despite minor flaws". Taiwan News. 2011-12-18. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  5. "MRT Xinzhuang line begins commercial service". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  6. "新莊線通車首日旅運8.2萬人次 整體營運順利". 中國廣播公司. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  7. "Network: Second Stage". Department of Rapid Transit Systems, Taipei City Government. 2015-07-09. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  8. "Taipei MRT's Luzhou Line to start operations Wednesday afternoon". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  9. "捷運蘆洲支線 延明年9月通車-聯合新聞網". Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  10. "北捷蘆洲支線9月通車 新莊線試駛頭前庄站(2010.03.02)". Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  11. "捷運蘆洲支線9月3和4日初勘 台北市政府捷運工程局". Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  12. "MRT Luzhou line to open Nov. 3". Taipei Times. 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  13. "蘆洲線試乘 已逾305萬人次". UDN. 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
  14. "President offers congratulations on opening of MRT Luzhou Line". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  15. "捷運系統蘆洲線簡介" (PDF). Department of Rapid Transit Systems, Taipei City Government. 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  16. "Record breaking year for Taipei's MRT network". The China Post. 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  17. 張家嘯 (2010-11-26). "蘆洲線試乘破305萬 橘色路線圖沒標錯". CardU 焦點新聞. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  18. "蘆洲線捷運搶客 公車載量掉四成". The Liberty Times. 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  19. "Luzhou Line property value rises through the roof". The China Post. 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  20. "Luzhou Line boom may be short-lived: vendors". Taipei Times. 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  21. "臺北捷運系統相鄰兩站間之行駛時間、停靠站時間 | 政府資料開放平臺". data.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 October 2019.
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