After 10 years of construction, the Taipei MRT Xinyi Line Eastern Extension announced a planned opening on August 30.
However, this date reflects the announcement confirmed in an August 20 report, and preparations for the opening also included operating authorization and facility-improvement procedures.
Separating the creation of new stations from the safety inspections makes the progress of this section clearer.
3-Line Summary
1. The opening plan for 信義東延段 on August 30 was announced
2. It includes an approximately 1.4-kilometer extension and a new terminal station
3. There were 5 items requiring improvement before service began
Approximately 1.4 Kilometers from Xiangshan Station to Guangci–Fengtian Temple Station
The Xinyi Line Eastern Extension was introduced as a section extending from Taipei MRT’s Xiangshan Station, along Xinyi Road Section 6, to the Guangci Boaiyuan District. The newly installed terminal station is Guangci–Fengtian Temple Station, and the total length presented in the report is approximately 1.4 kilometers.
On August 20, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced that this section was scheduled to open on August 30. He described the construction as one of the most difficult sections in Taipei MRT history. He explained that the project faced complex geological conditions as well as various construction challenges.
The name “Xinyi Line Eastern Extension” refers to this project of extending the tracks from the end of the existing line toward a new residential area. Accordingly, the notable change presented in this announcement is not simply an increase in operating distance. It also includes the creation of a new terminal, Guangci–Fengtian Temple Station, after the existing Xiangshan Station.
However, the difficulty of the construction cannot be judged solely by the figure of approximately 1.4 kilometers. Mayor Chiang cited the geology and construction conditions rather than the length. The announcement shows that even an extension section that appears short may require different preparation periods and inspection items depending on the construction conditions.
August 18 Operating Authorization and the Opening Plan Announcement
Mayor Chiang stated that the Taipei City Government had received operating authorization from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on the 18th of that month. He added that experts and scholars had conducted ongoing inspections and that the review had been completed. This is the authorization process described by the city government.
The opening-plan date and the operating authorization were part of the same preparation process, but they are different pieces of information. August 30 was the planned opening date announced by the mayor, while August 18 was reported as the date on which the ministry authorized operations. Although the dates may look similar when placed side by side, one is a plan to begin service and the other is the result of an administrative procedure required for operations.
The city government also announced that it would introduce several preferential measures to coincide with the opening. However, the reports provided do not specify the discount recipients, application period, or details of the benefits. Therefore, the preferential measures can be regarded only as a matter announced in advance; there is no basis for saying that their detailed conditions had been determined.
The announcement of the opening also included thanks to the construction participants and the city government. From the users’ perspective, however, the more direct point is when and after what improvements the operating authorization was issued, rather than the promotion of the new line. That progress should be read together with the inspection schedule described in other reports.
Reports of a Rejection in June and a Ceiling Collapse in July
In a Mirror Media report, Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua rebutted online claims that “the central government deliberately blocked the opening.” In a social media post, he characterized the claim as political manipulation and presented dates from the administrative process. This reflects the councilor’s position and interpretation.
According to the information he presented, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications returned the Taipei City Government’s inspection application on June 11. The reason at the time was that the fire-safety approval documents had not yet been received. The report described this as a documentation issue that had to be confirmed during preparations for the opening.
On July 5, a large amount of water seeped in while the station’s interior concourse floor was being cleaned, and the ceiling of the platform level collapsed, the report said. This was a facility-related problem reported at a time when the construction section was approaching the start of service. No conclusion can be made about the cause or subsequent condition beyond the facts reported.
Hsu Shu-hua opposed describing the safety inspections as political obstruction. He said, in substance, that the opening could not become an event for the mayor’s ribbon-cutting or photo opportunities, and that passenger safety had to come first. The dispute between “safety” and “political delay” is an issue the councilor clearly distinguished in this report.
5 Items Requiring Improvement Before Service among 28 Findings
An inspection by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on August 1 found a total of 28 items requiring improvement, of which 5 items were classified as matters that had to be improved before service began, the report said. Damage to fireproofing filler in the machine room and inadequate movable railings outside the end doors on the platform level were cited as examples.
These five items were not simply a number assessing the completeness of the construction. Hsu Shu-hua argued that they concerned passenger safety and, more broadly, human life. Because the provided text does not list all five items, only the two cited examples can be confirmed.
According to the schedule, the Taipei City Government reported that the improvements had been completed on August 13, and the ministry received the report on the morning of August 14. After the weekend, the official authorization document was issued on August 18, the report said. Hsu Shu-hua denied claims of deliberate delay, saying that this period was less than 3 business days.
This rebuttal is also the councilor’s political judgment, but the dates and procedures themselves provide clues for understanding the preparations before the opening announcement. What can be confirmed regarding the Xinyi Line Eastern Extension is that the new station and extension length, operating authorization, and items requiring improvement before service were all part of the process. This is progress that can easily be overlooked when the opening plan is considered in isolation.
References
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