Commuters board an MRT train at the Gangqian Station on the new Neihu Line yesterday. Operation of the new service on the first working day since it was inaugurated Saturday was smooth, and passengers found the trains less crowded than expected. CNA

TAIPEI: Taipei metro's newly opened Neihu Line whisked through its first Monday with ease yesterday, though heavy crowds were recorded at a transfer terminal connecting it to other lines.

Yesterday was the Neihu Line's first working day after Saturday's inauguration. The operation over the weekend suffered some glitches and over-crowding.

During yesterday's rush hours trains rolled out every 90 seconds. Most passengers thought the service along Taipei's new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line was okay.

Mr Lien took his first ride to work at Neihu Technology Park on the new Line yesterday. He used to take the bus from his home in Dazhi. He noted vacant seats for the duration of his ride from Dazhi Station to Gangqian. It wasn't as crowded as he thought it would be.

Mr Chen also works in Neihu Technology Park. He's been accustomed to driving to work but decided to try the new metro service. He walked 10 minutes to the Qizhang Station of the Hsintien Line, making two transfers to get on to the Neihu Line.

The ride to Gangqian took him about an hour - discounting his 10-minute walk. He can drive the distance in 40 minutes but he rated his metro ride "not bad".

There was overcrowding at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, a main transfer station on Banana Line.

Crowd control was set up between 8:40-8:55 am. That stalled commuters for 10 to 15 minutes. During the traffic peak, some escalators stopped operating after becoming overloaded.

Inspecting the rush hour situation, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said it will take time to smooth out the problems at the transfer stations.

The Neihu Line took six years to build. The latest addition to the Taipei Network runs over 14.8 kilometers of track. Adding a spur to the Muzha Line at the Zhongshan Junior High School, it links up the Taipei Songshan Airport and the Nangang Exhibition Center. With the opening of the Neihu Line, all 12 of Taipei's districts are covered by the metro service.

Though she had to navigate the overcrowded transfer station, Miss Wu said the Neihu Line has made commuting much more convenient for her.

She found a seat a few stops past Zhongxiao Fuxing, she said.

Li, a student who used the Neihu Line service over the weekend, said that the overcrowding yesterday actually was better than during the weekend. Novelty and promotional discounts at malls along the line attracted many to the Neihu Line on Saturday and Sunday.

A false warning signal of a track obstruction trapped a train inside a tunnel Saturday morning. The problem was resolved within 10 minutes. However the failure created serious delays down the line. Some passengers at Zhongxiao Fuxing station reportedly waited more than 20 minutes for a train. That gave rise to concerns that week-day commuters might experience similar delays.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/07/2009 page2)