The Executive Yuan has approved the Xizhi-Donghu Line to be run by Metro Taipei that will link Neihu District in Taipei to Xizhi District in New Taipei and eventually connect to the planned Keelung Metro.
The design is expected to diversify traffic and reduce congestion in the three cities.
The Cabinet said in a statement Friday night that Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) has agreed to an initial budget of NT$27.85 billion (US$907 million) to start on the new line’s design and contact subcontractors to facilitate the construction of the new line.
The approval came after two revisions of the plan by New Taipei City and a review by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and the National Development Council, the Cabinet said.
With a total budget of NT$37.69 billion, the 5.5 kilometer Xizhi-Donghu line will have six stops, with the eastern end expected to be built next to Donghu Station on Metro Taipei’s Wenhu (Brown) Line.
The other end will have stops at Zhangshuwan, the Xike Railway Station, and the Xizhi District Office, all planned stations of the Keelung metro system in the future. It will also connect to the Xizhi Railway Station.
On his Facebook page, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (???) said Xizhi residents have waited for the approval of the Xizhi-Donghu Line for more than 20 years, and he sympathized with those residents’ frustration during the long days spent in waiting.
“We have prepared ourselves to help the dream come true for residents of Xizhi,” Hou said. “New Taipei City hopes the central government and the local government will work together to build a good living environment for the development of Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung.”
According to Hou, the construction of the Xizhi-Donghu line is expected to be completed in nine and half years after a review of its construction expenses and the issuing of tenders to select sub-contractors.
Lawmaker Lai Pin-yu (???) of the Democratic Progressive Party, who represents an electoral district covering Xizhi, said in a Facebook post that she hoped the New Taipei City Government will work on the design for the new line and expropriate the land needed to open the line as soon as possible.
The MOTC on Saturday urged the Taipei City Government to speed up its evaluation of the possibility of connecting Donghu to Jiuzong Road in Neihu to create an even better connection between Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung.
In February 2022, the Cabinet approved the first section of the Metro Keelung project, which will have a budget of NT$42.5 billion and connect Nangang of Taipei and Badu of Keelung.
Metro Taipei’s Wenhu Line also connects to the Bannan (Blue) Line at Nangang Station.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel