Ankeng light rail train under testing, system set to open in 2022

New Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) The first tram-train delivered for the Ankeng light rail transit (LRT) line is being tested in New Taipei, a major step forward toward the LRT line's launch scheduled for the end of 2022, the city's Department of Rapid Transit Systems said Monday.

The train, painted a brilliant gold, was produced by Hsinchu County-based Taiwan Rolling Stock Co., a China Steel Corp. subsidiary, and was delivered to the system's maintenance facility for testing in late September.

The train, one of 15 that have been ordered for to be used on the LRT line, has five cars, each of which has 62 seats, the department said.

Another 14 trains will also eventually be delivered and undergo dynamic and durability testing on the line in Xindian District before going into service at the end of next year, according to the department.

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said Monday during a visit to the maintenance facility that 42 percent of the equipment being used by the Ankeng LRT line will be domestically produced, higher than the Danhai light rail line's 22 percent domestic content.

Hou said the line is 83 percent complete at present.

The 7.5 kilometer-long Ankeng LRT line is part of a transportation expansion plan in the Greater Taipei area aimed at reducing travel times from New Taipei to Taipei by 15-20 minutes and alleviating traffic congestion in the metropolitan area.

The LRT system will have four ground-level stations and five elevated stations and run from Shuangcheng in Ankeng to Shisizhang, where it will connect with the Taipei MRT Circular line.