Mini History of Taipei MRT

Muzha Line
The first section of the Taipei MRT to go into commercial service was the Muzha line, which began operation on March 28, 1996. Trains run on elevated tracks from Taipei Zoo Station in the Muzha District, through Wanfang Community and then through tunnels in the Fuzhou Hill area to Heping East Road, and along Fuxing South & North Road to Zhongshan Junior High School Station. Along the 10.9-km route, there are 12 stations and one maintenance depot. Transfer to the Nangang line and Banqiao line can be made at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. An extension from the Muzha line, the Neihu line, is being built to serve Neihu residents as well as passengers traveling to and from Taipei Songshan Airport.

Danshui Line
The Danshui line began commercial service on December 25, 1997. On the southbound journey, trains set out from Danshui following the right-of-way of the old Danshui-Taipei railroad on an at-grade or elevated level through Beitou and Shilin districts and after Yuanshan Station the line runs underground through Taipei Main Station to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station. The 23.8-km route has 22 stations and the Beitou maintenance depot. Most of the stations along the Danshui line are built in a traditional Chinese architectural style. Passengers from Danshui require only 37 minutes to reach Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station, where transfers to both the Nangang line and the Banqiao line can be made.

Zhonghe Line
The Zhonghe line, which began operation on December 24, 1998, takes an underground route from Nanshijiao along Jingan Road, Zhonghe Road and Yonghe Road before passing beneath the Xindian River to Taipei City, and joins the Xindian line at Guting Station. The 5.4-km route has four stations and one depot.

Xindian Line and Xiaonanmen Line
The Xindian line, which began operation on November 11, 1999, joins the Danshui line at Chiang Kai-Shek Memoriall Station and runs south along Gongyuan Road, Roosevelt Road, and Beixin Road to Xindian. Its 11.2-km route includes 10 underground stations and one depot. The Executive Yuan then approved the construction plan of a new station, Xiaobitan Station, inside the depot and the station was opened to the public on September 29, 2004.

The Taipei MRT network also includes one maintenance line, known as the Xiaonanmen line, which runs from Ximen Station to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station. This line enables trains serving the Nangang and Banqiao lines to transfer to the Beitou maintenance depot. The line is 1.6 km long and has one station. It began providing shuttle services between Ximen Station and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station on August 31, 2000.

Nangang Line
The Nangang line runs underground from Kunyang Station on the east side of Taipei, passing Taipei City Hall Station and Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station, and going along Zhongxiao Road and Zhonghua Road to Ximen Station. Its 11.1-km route has 11 stations and one depot. Part of the Nangang line, from Taipei City Hall Station to Ximen Station connecting to the Banqiao line, began operation on December 24, 1999, while the section between Taipei City Hall Station and Kunyang Station began operation a year later on December 30, 2000.

Banqiao line & Tucheng Line
The Banqiao line follows an underground route along Zhonghua Road to Heping West Road, goes beneath the Xindian River, and continues along Wenhua Road to Fuzhong Station. The section of the Banqiao line currently in operation opened in three stages: the section from Ximen Station to Longshan Temple Station began operation on December 24, 1999; the section from Longshan Temple Station to Xinpu Station on August 31, 2000; and the section from Xinpu Station to Fuzhong Station on May 31, 2006.

The Tucheng line takes an underground route along Nanya South Road and Zhongyan Road and ends at Yongning Station. The section of the Tucheng line currently in operation began commercial service on May 31, 2006.

Nangang Eastern Extension (Kunyang Station to Nangang Station)
This extension section will run underground from the current terminus of the Nangang line at Kunyang Station to Nangang Station. The extension's total length is approximately 1.5 km with one underground station, and opened for commercial service on Dec 25, 2008.