Department of Rapid Transit Systems

On the morning of August 30 at Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, the opening ceremony was held for the grand completion of Xinyi eastern extension, described as the most difficult construction project in the history of the MRT. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an presided over the opening ceremony and gathered together with distinguished VIP guests to witness and celebrate the addition of the new MRT line to the city’s transit network. DORTS explained that the completion of construction on this section of the line not only successfully extends the Tamsui-Xinyi line further to the east and enables the public to directly travel from Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station to Tamsui Station but is also an implementation of the national green transportation development policy which enhances transportation capabilities in the eastern part of the Taipei Metropolitan Area.  

In his speech, Mayor Chiang stated that although this section of the MRT line is only 1.4 km long, the geological conditions and construction environment were extremely challenging. He expressed special gratitude to the entire MRT construction team for their professionalism and perseverance in overcoming a wide range of hardships including complex underground geology, environmental challenges, and labor and material shortages. He also thanked the teams for upholding quality standards to complete this key project and boost the resilience of the city’s transportation network. 

DORTS stated that Xinyi eastern extension has been hailed as “one of the most difficult construction projects in the history of the MRT,” and the construction team successfully overcame extreme spatial and geological challenges during the construction. The construction was carried out beneath Fude Street, which is only 25 meters in width, and the excavation of the massive station structure extended 10 floors underground. Furthermore, the required construction accuracy left no room for error with heavy machinery in use at a distance of only 60 centimeters from residential buildings on either side. In addition to the spatial constraints, the construction team also faced extreme geological challenges characterized by soft materials in the upper layers and hard materials in the lower layers. The shallow layers were formerly wetlands; therefore, the equipment would sink into the soft ground, and more than 5,000 bags of cement were required to strengthen the foundation before construction could commence. At greater depths, the construction teams encountered ultra-hard rock formations which were four times harder than expected. With a single compressive strength of up to 1,324 kgf/cm², the shield tunnel machine could only advance 2.5 meters per day with great difficulty. After overcoming numerous challenges, including utility pipeline relocation and nighttime construction restrictions, the construction team managed to ensure the safety of neighboring buildings and complete the excavation tasks by employing a wide variety of sophisticated construction techniques. 

Mayor Chiang stated that following the completion of Xinyi eastern extension, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station will be a formal addition to the Taipei MRT route network and be directly connected to the other existing 117 MRT stations; furthermore, as an important link in the realization of the vision of a “Sustainable Taipei,” it will also be the first step in the city government’s promotion of the “Development of Six Lines 2.0.” The scheduled completion of Wanda line Phase I construction by the end of next year is further proof of the Taipei team’s determination and capacity to execute projects. 

DORTS pointed out that the Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station structure was designed in accordance with a “Rising Water” design concept which combines the flow of people through the MRT station with imagery from the local Liugongjun. Through the visual applications of blue flooring, walls, and ceilings, the concept of flowing water is transformed into architectural forms with horizontal and curved imagery which cleverly blend the dual urban and natural landscape imagery of Four Beasts Mountain and Liugongjun. This creates a cultural landmark for the public that embodies the concepts of ecological sustainability and local characteristics.

DORTS explained that the public can board the MRT at Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, and arrive at Xiangshan Station in just 2 minutes and Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station in 4 minutes before continuing onward to Taipei Main Station and Tamsui. This significantly reduces daily commuting and transfer times. In addition, the opening of Xinyi eastern extension dramatically expands the living circle for local residents, with the station exit/entrance directly connecting to Guangci Charity Park and Xinyi District Administration Center. This renders business and social welfare resources easily accessible and facilitates the achievement of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) urban governance objectives.

DORTS also mentioned that Taipei City Government is currently making every effort to promote the construction of the Circular line, which forms a full loop around the capital city. In the future, after the Circular line east section connects with Xinyi line for transfers at Xiangshan Station, the original commute time from Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station to Neihu Technology Park will be dramatically reduced from 40 minutes to just 17 minutes! In addition to alleviating traffic bottlenecks in Neihu Technology Park, this will also be a key driver in our collective journey toward the creation of a sustainable green city with net-zero emissions.