Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) A newly completed section of Kaohsiung's circular light rail transit system opened Thursday on a trial basis, offering free rides to passengers ahead of its scheduled official launch next month.
The trains will run on the section of the line between Gushan District Office Station and the TRA Museum of Fine Arts Station, from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2, the city's Mass Rapid Transit Bureau (MRTB) said.
Passengers can take free rides between 6:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily on the trains, which will run every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes in off-peak hours, stopping at Gushan, Makadao, and TRA Museum of Fine Arts stations, the MRTB said.
At a launch ceremony for the trial run, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said the city's circular line runs through four administrative districts, from Kaisyuan Station to Gushan District Office Station, providing safe and convenient transportation for commuters.
In the period October to December this year, daily ridership on the line averaged 10,000 passengers, and on weekends that number jumped to 20,000 on average, which was an indication that travel on the city's light rail had returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, Chen said.
