A Tourist Guide for Using the Taipei Metro
A Taipei Metro Train
Thanks to Pixabay
Introduction
The Taipei Metro which began operating in 1996 has played a significant role in Taipei, Taiwan's urban renewal, and increased tourist traffic.
Before the opening of the Taipei Metro, there was a lot of traffic congestion, and it was time-consuming and inconvenient to travel to tourist attractions in the northwestern and southeastern suburbs.
In this article, I first present an overview of the Taipei Metro and then describe the five major subway lines running throughout the city.
Taipei at Night
The 101 Building is in the center of the picture.
Thanks to Pixabay
Overview of the Taipei Metro
The Taipei Rapid Transit System popularly known as the MRT or Taipei Metro is a rapid transit system for metropolitan Taipei. In Pinyin Chinese, it is known as the "Taibei dazhong jieyun xitong" 台北大众捷运系统. It is co-located with the old existing train systems and a fairly new high-speed rail train system which started running in 2008.
Built by the Taipei City government and operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, the Taipei Metro has 108 stations and five main routes. It operates on 131 kilometers or 81.5 miles of revenue tracks. In December 2015, the Taipei Metro daily riders amounted to 2.15 million.
The Taipei Metro has three main transfer stations: Taipei Main Station; Zhongxiao Fuxing; and Minquan West Road. By riding on one of the five major lines, you can travel from Xindian in the southern suburbs to Tamsui (Danshui) in the northwestern suburbs, or from Yungning in the southwest to the Nangang Exhibition Center in the east.
At each station, most of which are underground, trains operate at intervals of 1.5 to 15 minutes daily from 6:00 a.m. until midnight.
Fares are collected through tokens dropped into turnstiles or by smart cards of stored value. While I was in Taipei in November 2014, I purchased a two-day Easy Card pass for 250 New Taiwan (NT) dollars. It included a 50 NT deposit for the card returned to me.
Except for rush hours, the train cars are spacious and very comfortable with accommodations for the handicapped. When the trains stop at all stations, Chinese Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English announcements are given.
Most of my Taipei Metro facts are taken from Wikipedia.
Summary of Taipei Metro Major Five Lines
Five major subway lines run through the Greater Taipei metropolitan area. They include the Red Line or Tamsui-Xinyi Line; the Blue Line or Ban-Nan Line; the Brown Line or Wen Hu Line; the Orange Line or Zhonghe-Xinlu Line; and the Green Line or Songshan-Xindian Line. Each one of these lines is described in detail below.
Taipei Metro Subway Lines and Stations
Thanks to TaipeiTravelNet
Red Line or Tamsui-Xinyi Line
The Red Line is the longest and one of the most popular subway lines used by locals and tourists. It has terminal stations at Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) in eastern Taipei and Tamsui (Danshui), an old fishing village in the northwestern suburbs.
If you start at Xiangshan, your first tourist spot will be the 101 Building which up until around 2005 was the tallest building in the world. The next main tourist site will be the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. After stopping at the Main Station, you will pass through the Yuanshan and Shilin stations. The picturesque Grand Hotel is at Yuanshan, and Shilin is famous for its large night market. Continuing to the northwest, you will get to the Peitou station where you can transfer to a smaller line to reach the hot spring baths at New Peitou. The final tourist destination is the terminal station at Tamsui, an old fishing village. The Red Line is 29.6 km in length and has 27 stations.
Riding the Red Line from Central Station to Tamsui
On the 89th Floor of the Taipei 101 Building
The Shihlin Night Market
Thanks to Pixabay
The Blue Line or Ban Nan Line
The Blue Line has terminal stations at Yungning in the southwest and the Nangang Exhibition Hall in eastern Taipei. Some tourist attractions on the Blue Line include the old Lungshan Temple; the Ximending night market near the Ximen or west gate station; the Zhongxiao-Fuxing nearby area for shopping; and the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. The Blue Line is 26.5 kilometers long and has 22 stations.
The Brown Line or Wen Hu Line
The Brown Line has terminal stations at the Nangang Exhibition Hall in eastern Taipei and the Taipei Zoo in the southeastern suburbs. The Songshan Airport Station is used for domestic airport operating flights to major cities in Taiwan. The international airport is located outside of Taipei to the south near Taoyuan. The Brown Line is 25.7 kilometers in length and has 24 stations.
The Orange Line or Zhonghe-Xinlu Line
The Orange Line has terminal stations at Huilung and Luzhou in the west and Nanshijiao in the south. It is 25.1 kilometers in length and has 27 stations.
The Green Line or Songshan-Xindian Line
The Green Line has terminal stations at Songshan in the east and Xindian and Xiao Bitan in the south. It is 21.3 kilometers in length and has 21 stations.
General Comments
When I visited Taipei in November 2014, I used the Red and Blue Lines. Trains ran on time and whisked me quickly to planned destinations.
Tourists should be warned that the Taipei Main Station is spacious because it houses the high-speed rail system, the old railroad lines, and the subway lines. Expect to do a lot of walking and ensure you follow the signs in Chinese and English.
Summary
The Taipei Metro is one of the better East Asian mass rapid transit systems. Train cars are very comfortable and run to almost any place in the Taipei area. The Taipei Metro is also reasonably priced and very convenient to use.
Another Hub Related to Taiwan
- How Has Taiwan Changed in the Past 50 Years?
Taiwan has changed rapidly in the past 50 years from being a developing third world island province to becoming highly developed. This hub answers how Taiwan has changed in the past half century.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2016 Paul Richard Kuehn
Comments
Paul Richard Kuehn (author) from Udorn City, Thailand on February 09, 2016:
Thank you very much for your great comments, Rajan. I'm glad you liked the pictures and video and hope you have the chance of visiting Taiwan in the future.
Paul Richard Kuehn (author) from Udorn City, Thailand on February 09, 2016:
I think Taiwan used to be more beautiful in the late 60s and 70s. It is still, however, a beautiful small island to visit.
Rajan Singh Jolly from From Mumbai, presently in Jalandhar, INDIA. on February 09, 2016:
Metro has made commuting and life in general much pleasanter even in India. They certainly are indispensable in current times. I loved the night market and Red line video.
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on February 09, 2016:
Lovely photos! A beautiful place to visit.
Paul Richard Kuehn (author) from Udorn City, Thailand on February 03, 2016:
Au fait, I'm happy that you found this hub useful. Yes, I think putting this on a travel site would be a great idea. I thank you very much for pinning, posting on FB, and sharing this article with FB followers!
C E Clark from North Texas on February 01, 2016:
Excellent information for anyone visiting Taipei who may want to use this subway. If there's a way to advertise this article on travel sites I'm sure people touristing or traveling for any reason in this area would appreciate this information. Pinned this to my travel board and posted it on FB as well. Sharing with followers as well.
Paul Richard Kuehn (author) from Udorn City, Thailand on January 31, 2016:
@Rabadi , Thanks for commenting. I'm happy you enjoyed this hub and hope you have the chance to visit Taiwan and other East Asia countries in the future!
TruthisReal from New York on January 31, 2016:
Very Fascinating place. Enjoyed the read :)
Paul Richard Kuehn (author) from Udorn City, Thailand on January 29, 2016:
Taipei and Taiwan is a fascinating place, but there was much more magic to Taiwan 50 years ago. Thanks for commenting!
Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on January 29, 2016:
Looks like a fascinating place.
