Premier Jiang Yi-huah today accompanied President Ma Ying-jeou in inspecting the Taipei Main Station (A1) stop of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TTIA) Access MRT (mass rapid transit) System Construction Project.
Calling the project a milestone in the nation's infrastructure development, the premier praised the efforts of the TTIA MRT staff and urged them to make the airport line a pride of Taiwan and demonstrate to the world Taiwan's first-rate MRT network.
The president and premier, along with their delegation, witnessed the maiden arrival of one of the line's trains at the Taipei Main Station stop. The group also saw the initiation of the final phase of mechatronical tests and boarded the train to examine its interior design, experience the comfort of its seating space, and look into the operation of the luggage compartments, from which passengers' luggage will be directly delivered onto their planes whenever the train arrives at the airport.
Jiang said this time he had witnessed the completion of the airport MRT line and its station at the Taipei Main Station. He also noted that when the train passed through the Tamsui River to enter Taipei Main Station, he saw station personnel demonstrate to travelers how to conduct luggage check-in at the station.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) stated that the TTIA MRT line runs a total length of 51.03 km with 22 stations and two depots. The line runs west from Taipei Main Station (A1) to the TTIA, then heads south to Chungli's Huanbei Station (A21), with a stop at Taoyuan High-Speed Rail Station (A18) along the way. A direct train from Taipei Station to TTIA Terminal 1 Station (A12) takes approximately 35 minutes.
As of September 2014, 94.05 percent of the project had already been completed. The line must pass numerous examinations before it may begin service, including dynamic tests, systems integration tests, simulation drills, reconnaissance, and final inspections and testing for revenue service. Reconnaissance and final inspections are expected to begin in the first half of 2015 so that revenue service may begin by the end of 2015.