- Fare and where to buy tickets
- Metro lines
- Working hours
- History
- Peculiarities
Subways in Asia are generally impressive in scale and rapid pace of development. This is due to the dense population of the region. One example that confirms the above is the Taipei Metro.
However, in terms of scale, it is inferior to such transport systems as the Tokyo, Beijing or Shanghai subways. But, of course, the Taipei subway is an extensive, large-scale and rapidly developing transport system.
If we talk about the peculiarities of this metro and the rules for using it, then there is a lot in common with the Russian metro systems we are used to. But at the same time, there are differences, and sometimes they are quite large.
In order to quickly adapt to the peculiarities of the Taipei subway, it is better to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this transport system in advance, even before traveling to a Chinese city. If getting information about this metro is relevant for you, in the text below you will find answers to all your questions.
Fare and where to buy tickets
The cost of a trip on the Taipei subway can range from twenty to sixty-five new Taiwan dollars.
In order to enter the subway, you need to purchase a smart token. These blue tokens are sold in vending machines. Tickets purchased by you (in the quantity you need and at the price you specified) are recorded on this token. When entering the Taipei subway, it must be attached to the reader. When exiting, you need to throw a smart token into the special opening of the turnstile designed to collect used tokens.
Please note that the machine does not accept large bills (over a hundred New Taiwan dollars). But even if you don’t have any small change, you can easily change the existing bills in a special machine installed next to the automatic cash registers.
Metro lines
Taipei subway map
It is interesting that tourists who have visited the Taipei subway call a different number of branches of this transport system: someone says that there are ten, someone claims that there are seven, others insist on five … Oddly enough, they are all right. How can it be? Let's explain now.
The Taipei subway layout is simple and complex at the same time. When we first look at it, we see five lines - they are indicated by five different colors (yellow, green, red, blue and brown). Taking a closer look, we will see two more short branches. And after reading the description of the transport system, which contains a list of ten lines, we will understand that some of them are parts of the same branch (but at the same time they appear in the list as independent lines).
However, all these complexities and intricacies of the Taipei metro in no way prevent you from getting on it to the tourist places of interest in the city. This subway only seems complicated, but in fact it is very easy to get used to its features and rules.
The Taipei Metro has about one hundred and twenty stations. They can be divided into two types - overpass and underground.
The track gauge is not the same on different lines: on most of them it corresponds to European standards, but on one of the lines it is wider. Most of the trains in the metro are six-car. On one of the lines, there are also four-car trains running on tires; they are controlled by automation (without the participation of drivers). The average speed at which the trains move is about thirty kilometers per hour, and the maximum speed is about eighty-five kilometers per hour.
The annual passenger traffic is seven hundred and sixty-five and a half million people. In the near future, the metro will expand: construction of several lines is planned.
Working hours
The Taipei subway begins its work at six in the morning (somewhat later than many other subways in the world). Its doors are open to passengers until midnight. However, if at midnight you will be on the platform or on the train, you will still have time to get to the station you need: the metro will run for another hour “on the way out”. In some special cases (for example, during the New Year holidays), the length of the working day of the subway increases.
The interval of movement depends on the congestion of the branches, as well as on the time of day. The minimum interval is one and a half minutes, the maximum is fifteen minutes.
History
For the first time, the idea of building a Taipei metro was put forward in the late 60s of the XX century. It was announced by the Minister of Transport and Communications at one of the press conferences. But there was still a long way to the implementation of this idea.
A draft of a new transport system, consisting of five branches, was published in the late 70s. In the first half of the 80s of the XX century, the necessary research was carried out and detailed calculations were performed. In the second half of the named decade, the work plan was approved and construction began.
Meanwhile, the traffic situation on Taipei roads worsened. Construction work only exacerbated this problem, as part of the roads had to be closed because of them. This time remained in the memory of the townspeople as a "dark period". During the construction work and shortly after the opening of the first line, disputes over the new transport system did not subside in the city. One of the reasons for the controversy was the overspending of the budget by the metro builders.
In the subsequent history of the metro, not everything was cloudless either. In May 2014, a tragic incident took place in the metro. A man armed with a knife attacked the passengers. Four were killed and twenty-four were injured. After this incident, security measures were heightened in the subway.
Peculiarities
When buying a travel document at the ticket office, you can also ask for a free metro map. A pleasant surprise for those who do not speak foreign languages: you can get the scheme in Russian! The fact is that there are schemes in thirty-three languages at the checkout (including, of course, Chinese).
But with the names of stations, the situation is different: they are written only in two languages - Chinese and English. In carriages, stations are announced both in the official language of the country and in some dialects; in addition, the announcement is in English.
All stations, without exception, are equipped with both escalators and elevators (including horizontal ones). A minute before the arrival of the train, red lights come on, located on the fence that separates the platform from the tracks. There are also information boards installed at the stations, reminiscent of those that exist, for example, in the Moscow metro. In addition, there is an information kiosk at each station.
At some stations, passengers can charge mobile phones. An advantageous difference between the Taipei metro and the Russian subways: free toilets work at all metro stations in the Chinese city.
Art exhibitions are held in the metro. Here are several stations where you can see such exhibitions:
- "Gongguan";
- "Gutin";
- Shuanglian;
- Xindian.
In the trains, you can see the seats painted blue. They are intended for pregnant women and the elderly, as well as for those passengers whose physical capabilities are limited.
It is forbidden to eat, drink and smoke on the territory of the metro, chewing gum and betel nut are also banned.
Official website: www.trtc.com.tw
Taipei subway
