New Taipei, March 13 (CNA) The Ankeng light rail transit (LRT) system in New Taipei's Xindian District officially began operations Monday after a one-month trial run.
The trial run that started on Feb. 10 and ended Sunday offered a total of 430,000 free rides, with 15,000 passenger trips per day on average, New Taipei Metro Corp. General Manager Wu Kuo-chi (吳國濟) told CNA.
When official service began Monday, passengers on the 7.5-kilometer LRT line that runs between Shuangcheng Station and Shisizhang Station from 6 a.m. to midnight, were charged NT$20 (US$0.65) for journeys under 5 kilometers and NT$25 for longer distances, Wu said.
To better serve commuters in more densely populated neighborhoods, trains will run at intervals of 7.5 minutes during rush hour between the Ankang Station (K6) and Shisizhang Station (K9).
The intervals are 15 minutes on average outside of rush hour.
Wu also issued a reminder that passengers have to push the door button for the train's doors to open after arriving at the station, and said door stickers and station announcements will reinforce the message.
With the opening of service on the nine-stop Ankeng light rail, five separate shuttle bus routes have been launched offering service to other destinations, including the Erbazi Botanical Garden, Cardinal Tien Hospital Ankang Branch and Shuangcheng Station, the New Taipei Transportation Department said.
