Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) A new section of the Danhai Light Rail Transit system in New Taipei will start operations Sunday, extending the service along a route to Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf, a popular scenic spot.
Following an opening ceremony at 10 a.m., service on the Blue Seaside Line near Tamsui River will start at 2 p.m., according to New Taipei Metro Corporation (NTMC).
The new 2-kilometer section of the light rail network connects via Binhai Shalun Station with the existing Green Mountain Line, which runs from Hongshulin MRT Station to Kanding Station through 11 stations, NTMC said.
It means that passengers will be able to travel directly from Hongshulin to Fishermen's Wharf, a scenic location that is popular among sightseers in the area, according to the NTMC.
The service from Hongshulin will alternate between Kanding and Fishermen's Wharf every 7-8 minutes, from 6 a.m. to midnight.
The new line is the first metro route in Taiwan that offers passengers a clear view of the Taiwan Strait, and it also includes a section called the Blue Seaside Bridge that runs 120.7 meters across a stream between Taipei University of Marine Technology and Shalun stations, the NTMC said.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, there will be light shows on the bridge from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the city's Department of Rapid Transit Systems.
With the expansion of the light rail system, ridership is expected to increase from 9,000 to 44,000 per day, the department's deputy head Lin Yao-chang (林耀長) said.
In the initial phase of the new line's operation, passengers with electronic metro passes will be able to travel for free until Dec. 14 between three stations -- Taipei University of Marine Technology, Shalun, and Tamsui Fishermen's Wharf, according to NTMC.
The light rail seaside line is scheduled to be completed in 2024, with the construction of an additional 5.71 km section between Fisherman's Wharf and Tamsui MRT Station.
The full plan for the Danhai light rail system is to build four lines -- Blue, Green, Bali and Sanzhi -- at a total cost of NT$15.3 billion (US$468.78 million).
The network is part of New Taipei's development of its 1,748.7-hectare Danhai New Town area, which started in 1992 with the goal of attracting a population of 300,000 by 2036.
