Department of Rapid Transit Systems

The construction of Taipei MRT Circular line south & north sections has formally commenced. DORTS stated that following two public tenders for the Circular line south & north sections’ E&M system and AFC system and railway construction procurement project, the contract was officially awarded on September 1.  DORTS claimed that the Circular line south & north sections’ E&M system, for which the contract was signed today, is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Moreover, together with Circular line phase I, which is already in operation, and the Circular line east section, which will be subsequently constructed, the three construction sections will span a total of 49.3 km with 42 stations and form a complete ring route network, and the entire line adopt medium-capacity driverless EMUs.
 
On September 30 when Mayor Ko attended the contract signing ceremony between DORTS and the AAC Group, Mayor Ko stated that the amount for the contract awarded by DORTS for Circular line south & north sections’ E&M system construction is as high as NT$25.5 billion, and the purchases include the core E&M system where 29 EMUs are incorporated in, as well as the AFC system and the railway construction of these sections; furthermore, the contract includes indications of expanded procurement for the Circular line east section. Mayor Ko stated that due to the impact of COVID-19, contracts of domestic public construction have faced problems of price rise in construction materials, interruption of supply chains and labor shortage. Defying the difficult environment, the smooth completion of the tendering for the Circular line south & north sections’ E&M system contract reflects Taipei City government’s resolution to promote major transportation construction. It is also believed that this will lead to the smooth promotion of tendering for other civil engineering projects and that construction will gradually commence.
 
Mayor Ko Wen-je simultaneously congratulated the group who was awarded the contract: the French company Alstom Transport S.A. Taiwan Branch, the Brazilian company Alstom Energia e Transporte, Taiwan Branch, and CTCI Corporation. The group is also currently contracted for domestic construction work on the Wanda line’s E&M system, AFC system, and railway construction. Among the group, Alstom Transport S.A. Taiwan Branch (France) and CTCI Corporation have had several cooperation experiences. In addition to contractual compliance on the Wanda line, they have also jointly completed construction on the Xinlu line and the Nangang line eastern extension, and their professional and comprehensive abilities are well recognized. Mayor Ko also encouraged the successful bidders to make further use of local resources, equipment, and manpower in Taiwan and expressed hopes that through the construction of major MRT projects, the goal of localization can be further achieved; furthermore, he anticipates the creation of more job opportunities for the nation and for society.
 
Mayor Ko Wen-je stated that the construction of route extensions will be conducted during normal operational services, the process of system integration is a considerably important task. Moreover, he is confident that the process of implementing the agreement and the integration results of mutually combining the technology and experience of both DORTS and the AAC group will be smooth and successful.
 
DORTS stated that the smooth issuing of the E&M system construction contract represents the formal commencement of the construction of the Circular line phase II. After commencing construction, design tasks can also begin, and there can subsequently be investment in civil engineering projects. It is estimated that at the end of 2028, system integration can be carried out with Circular line phase I, which is already in operation, in order to realize the objective of expanding the service scope after opening for traffic and improving the efficiency of Taipei City and New Taipei City’s green transportation.
 
DORTS’ Systemwide E&M Project Office (SEMPO) explained that 29 EMUs were purchased for Circular line south & north sections’ E&M system, and in the future the newly-built North Depot will be utilized in cooperation with the South Depot to carry out train dispatching, maintenance, stabling and driving monitoring. SEMPO also stated that in addition to covering the new construction of 18 stations, one depot, and a 20.66 km route, the contract also includes system compatibility integration work with the Circular line Phase I and equipment upgrades of the EMUs.
 
DORTS further explained that in addition to connecting with the Wenhu line, following the completion of Circular line east section, the Circular line south & north sections will form a complete route network of a circle. The complete ring will employ a medium-capacity driverless system and have 14 stations which are transfer-points. In addition to connecting all of the Taipei MRT routes, it will also be possible to directly transfer to Taiwan Railways and Taiwan High Speed Rail, and in the future Taipei City and New Taipei City will enter a new milestone of “one line connects all”.