Department of Rapid Transit Systems

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je today (the 24^th) inspected the initial stage of an MRT station escalator improvement project and announced that entrances/exits at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, and Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station (Number 3, 3, and 4) will open tomorrow (the 25^th). Furthermore, on October 15, November 17, and December 15 entrances/exits will open sequentially at Jiangzicui Stations (Number 2), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station (Number 2), and Fuxinggang Station.
Mayor Ko stated that the escalator/elevator mid-term improvement project for the MRT initial route network is expected to be fully completed and open for operations in September 2022, symbolizing that planning and implementation of obstacle-free environments have once again been introduced into the mass transportation system; furthermore, in the future the government will continue to strive to build an elderly-friendly city. Ko Wen-je thanked city residents for their patience and together providing an obstacle-free environment for Taipei Metropolitan Area and for their efforts in working towards the trend of convenient use.
In his speech Ko Wen-je stated that the high-quality of Taipei MRT construction has always been appreciated by the public, and in order to provide a higher quality and caring riding environment, in response to an aging society, DORTS has proposed an improvement plan for the entrances/exits of each station in the initial route network. However, due to the enormous number of entrances and exits and differing environmental factors and requirements as well as limited funding rendering it impossible to make complete improvements, plans have been made to improve the conditions for feasibility assessment, construction feasibility, escape requirements, land acquisition, and sources of funding.
Ko Wen-je pointed out that the objective of MRT station improvement is for “station entrances/exits to satisfy having at least one entrance/exit on both sides of the road equipped with two-way escalators or elevators.” Because DORTS has proposed a three-phase improvement plan for the short, medium, and long-term, a portion of MRT station entrances/exits will be improved in stages to have two-way escalators or additional elevators. To date, improvement construction has been completed for the entrance hall elevator at Guting Station (Numbers 3, 5, and 7) entrances/exits and Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station Number 3 entrance/exit. Ko Wen-je further explained that the planning which is currently underway includes an escalator that will open tomorrow. It's estimated that by the end of 2022 a total of 62 escalators and one elevator at 16 stations, 23 entrances/exits, and four inner platforms are to be completed.
Taipei DORTS explained that for Taipei MRT, with over 2 million passenger trips daily, the temporary closure of station entrances/exits causes inconvenience to commuters; however, the closure of entrances/exits for construction at stations which are open for operations is a very cumbersome and time-consuming process. DORTS described the escalator improvement project unlike other MRT projects is a real challenge, as construction is underway while the improvement is in process concurrently. In addition to carrying out tasks such as removing the existing escalators, knocking out the stairs, knocking out and newly installing the electric escalator pits, installing and testing the new escalators, and pulling the electrical cables within limited construction spaces, in order to take into account passengers’ travel requirements and avoid affecting the original MRT entrance/exit structures, some of the tasks must be knocked out manually with the carrying out of removal operations limited to times after the MRT night shift and prior to hours of operation. To date the escalators at Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, and Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station have undergone a 10-month improvement period and have already met the conditions to be opened for operations. Jiangzicui Station, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station, and Fuxinggang Station will also be completed and opened for operations sequentially.
DORTS emphasized that in order to balance travel requirements with operational safety and due to safety considerations that two entrances/exits cannot be simultaneously closed at stations on the same MRT line, it was necessary to implement the improvements in stages. DORTS thanked the public for their patience saying that mid-term improvement works for escalators/elevators on the entire MRT initial road network would be completed and operational by September 2022 in order to provide Taipei Metropolitan Area with a more convenient MRT riding environment.
 
MRT Wiki – MRT Station Escalator/Elevator Improvement Project
In response to the trend of an aging society, Taipei City DORTS will upgrade the single escalators and single staircases at some MRT stations to two-way escalators. As a result of the old escalators' having reached the end of their lifespans, in addition to the requirement that the original escalators be removed and transported to their corresponding depots, the tasks must be carried out in cooperation with the demolition of the original stairs step by step, with the escalator bearing plate structures being re-cast. Subsequently, the installation of new escalators and related cable laying operations are to be carried out. Following the installation of escalators, they must be connected to the original service centers at stations; moreover, monitoring, earthquake, fire, and noise tests must also be completed for the benefit of DORTS’ controlling tasks in order to ensure the safety of passengers. DORTS stated that cable layout and connection tasks can only be implemented at nighttime after MRT services have ended. At the same time, new escalator operational testing must be completed and use permits must be obtained. In addition, the ceilings and lamps at the entrances/exists must also be updated and reworked, and the overall process is quite cumbersome and time-consuming.
 
Taipei MRT Information
Currently improvement construction projects for escalators/elevators of the MRT initial network are being implemented by Taipei City DORTS. For the following eight stations (48 escalators were added at 19 entrances/exits): Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, Shandao Temple Station, Taipei Main Station, Xiaonanmen Station, and Jiangzicui Station, construction was carried out in four stages. At each stage, 4-5 escalators were improved at entrances/exits, and construction is expected to be completed by September 2022. In addition, one elevator was added at NTU Hospital Station, and escalator/elevator improvement construction projects at the following six stations (12 escalators will be added at six entrances/exits) commenced in September 2019 and are expected to be completed by June 2021: Fuxinggang Station, Guandu Station, Zhongyi Station, Zhuwei Station, Far Eastern Hospital Station, and Yongning Station.