Department of Rapid Transit Systems

On March 28, 1996, the first Taipei MRT line, the Muzha line, was completed. Taipei became the first city in Taiwan to have MRT services. It was also the first time in Taiwan that a medium-capacity line was activated and run with driverless train cars. In the beginning, when the Taipei MRT started its service, the daily passenger trips were 42,548; nowadays, the figure has surpassed 2 million, and the total number of passengers has reached 10 billion as of March 2019, according to DORTS. During these 25 years, the citizens in the Greater Taipei Area have changed their attitudes toward the Taipei MRT from distrust early on to affirmation in recent years. At present, the Taipei MRT has become one of the indispensable transportation modes to residents in this area.

In order to create a role model for a green city, several construction projects are still in progress, according to DORTS, namely the Wanda line Phase I, which is 9.5 km in length and consists of nine stations and one depot. As of the end of February this year, the construction progress of this project has reached 53.24%, and it is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2025. Next is the Xinyi Eastern Extension, which is 1.4 km in length and consists of one station. As of the end of February this year, the construction progress has reached 47.31%, and it is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2023. Another project is the Wanda line Phase II, which is 13.3 km in length and consists of 13 stations. Finally, there is the Circular line north section and the Circular line south section, which is 20.66 km in length and consists of 18 stations. The detailed design of this construction project has been completed, and the projects will be contracted out for construction in succession this year; furthermore, the project is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2028.

DORTS further elaborated stating that the Circular line is at the top of the municipal administration agenda, and the east section is the last piece of the puzzle to complete the Circular line. In the future, the east section will join the Circular line Phase I and the north section and the south section to form a complete circle that mimics the function of the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, where passengers can reach every station on the line without transferring. The completed Circular line will be 49.2 km in length and consist of 42 stations. It will also connect with the six in-service MRT lines, which form a radiating-shaped network to provide transferring services. Moreover, 14 stations in the Circular line will form 16 transferring points with the Taiwan High-Speed Rail, the Taiwan Rail, the Taoyuan International Airport MRT line, and the LRT Project. With the completion of the Circular line, and the Xinyi Eastern Extension and the Wanda line, which are currently under construction, the total length of the Taipei MRT network will reach 210.4 km in ten years, and the number of stations will reach at least 182.

The total length of the Taipei MRT network has already reached 152 km, and there are 131 stations in the system. In order to set up a world-class transit system, DORTS will unswervingly follow the "Three-Good Strategies": "Good Construction, Good Maintenance, and Good Management". Under this strategy, DORTS aims to integrate urban development, green public transportation, and environmental quality improvement into its administration to make Taipei City a sustainable and liveable city.

DORTS explained that the Taipei MRT consists of a grid-shaped network formed by at-grade, elevated, and underground lines. With this network, many important places in the Greater Taipei Area have become easily reachable and commutable. DORTS further explained that looking back to 1988 when the Taipei MRT construction commenced, in order to make the Taipei MRT open to traffic as early as possible, six Taipei MRT lines were in the fire at the same time, making those years the darkest page in Taipei's transportation history. After many years of construction with its tosses and turns, in 1997 the time finally came for Taipei City to enjoy the benefits brought about by the Taipei MRT. Nowadays, Taipei MRT is the most important public transportation mode for citizens in Taipei City and New Taipei City. It is also a booster for economic activities and regional development, as well as a backroom boy for a sustainable city with low carbon emissions.

DORTS explained that the Taipei MRT consists of a grid-shaped network formed by at-grade, elevated, and underground lines. With this network, many important places in the Greater Taipei Area have become easily reachable and commutable. DORTS further explained that looking back to 1988 when the Taipei MRT construction commenced, in order to make the Taipei MRT open to traffic as early as possible, six Taipei MRT lines were in the fire at the same time, making those years the darkest page in Taipei's transportation history. After many years of construction with its tosses and turns, in 1997 the time finally came for Taipei City to enjoy the benefits brought about by the Taipei MRT. Nowadays, Taipei MRT is the most important public transportation mode for citizens in Taipei City and New Taipei City. It is also a booster for economic activities and regional development, as well as a backroom boy for a sustainable city with low carbon emissions.

In 1990, in commemoration of the opening of the Muzha line, the Tamsui line, the Zhonghe line, the Xindian line, and the Bannan line in succession which formed a network of double crosses, DORTS held a campaign to select a memorial song which has these lyrics:
        Riding Taipei MRT, an interesting experience to enjoy,
        Muzha line, cars with no drivers inside,
        Tamsui line, views along the way to see,
        Zhonghe line, dine in for abundant cuisine,
        Xindian line, find aquatic lives in streams,
        Nankang line, enjoy Lungshan Temple's blessing,
        Riding Taipei MRT, a unique experience to feel,
        pass the gate with no one to check you in,
        get a thank you in three ways of speaking,
        come in for a journey with a happy grin.

The lyrics of this song not only represent the diversity of the places where the Taipei MRT reaches, but shows how interesting and versatile the experience passengers can get by riding on it. At that time, moving around by Taipei MRT was a new experience for passengers in the Greater Taipei Area. The system also represented a milestone of progress of Taiwan's transportation techniques. To date, it has become one of the determinant factors for residents in this area in terms of where they are going to settle down.