New taipei city: The New Taipei MRT Sanying Line, connecting the Tucheng, Sanxia, and Yingge districts, officially commenced operations at 2 p.m. on Tuesday after a ceremony attended by central and local officials. The new line reduces the commute from Yingge to Taipei by approximately 20 minutes.
According to Focus Taiwan, the New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih announced at the opening ceremony that the line will offer free rides until August 31. This initiative encourages the public to explore cultural attractions in Sanxia and Yingge. The Sanying Line spans approximately 14.29 kilometers and includes 12 stations, providing easy access to attractions such as the New Taipei City Art Museum in Yingge, Sanxia Old Street, and Yingge Ceramics Old Street.
The construction of the line faced significant challenges, involving eight major obstacles, including crossings over national highways, railways, and rivers such as the Dahan River. New Taipei Metro Corp. noted that the Sanying Line serves as a crucial link to reduce congestion in New Taipei's southwestern corridor, stretching from Yingtao Fude Station to Dingpu Station, where it connects to the Bannan (Blue) Line.
The medium-capacity Sanying Line, designed entirely as an elevated system, began construction on July 21, 2016, following a 2012 feasibility study approved by the Executive Yuan. The line took a decade to complete and is expected to save commuters about 20 minutes in travel time to Taipei. Plans are in place to extend the line approximately 4 kilometers westward from Yingtao Fude Station to Bade District in Taoyuan, with construction set to start in late 2026 and conclude in 2034, linking it to the under-construction Taoyuan MRT Green Line.
During the two-month trial period, trains will operate between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., after which service hours will be extended from 6 a.m. to midnight. Fares will align with the tiered pricing system of the Taipei and New Taipei MRT networks, ranging from NT$20 to NT$35. The opening ceremony was attended by notable figures including Premier Cho Jung-tai, Kuomintang mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan, and Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Su Chiao-hui.