Taipei MRT Extension Faces Further Delays After 28 Deficiencies Found

The much-anticipated eastern extension of Taipei's MRT Xinyi Line, a single-stop, 1.4-kilometer segment from Xiangshan Station to Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, faces further delays after a recent inspection by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications identified 28 deficiencies. Five of these issues are deemed critical and require immediate rectification before the line can commence operations.

The project, which broke ground in 2016, has already incurred costs of approximately NT$9.4 billion, translating to about NT$6.7 billion per kilometer. This makes it one of the most expensive MRT lines constructed in Taiwan on a per-kilometer basis. The delays have been compounded by previous issues, including a report in June revealing that Taipei City Government had prematurely sought the Ministry's inspection before crucial safety checks, like fire safety, were completed.

During the inspection on August 1st, critical issues identified included problems with the machine room, operational facilities, and safety features. Specifically, the five "pre-operation improvement items" involve securing floodgates with warning signs, repairing cracked floor tiles, ensuring elevator accessibility, addressing uneven landscaping, and fixing issues within various machine rooms and operational areas. Other noted deficiencies include incomplete finishing in operational facilities, such as escalator endpoints and elevator entrances, and safety concerns like a wobbly guardrail on the platform screen doors.

Taipei City Government must now address these five critical issues and submit the improvements for approval by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Only after this approval can the city government decide on an official opening date for the extension. In addition to the critical items, 13 general attention items and 10 follow-up recommendations were also noted, which the city government is expected to handle internally or consider for future planning.