Northern Taiwan's new Sanying MRT Line set to open in March 2026

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) The Sanying MRT Line, which will connect Tucheng with Yingge via Sanxia districts in New Taipei, northern Taiwan will be open to the public in March 2026, the city government said on Wednesday.

The subway line is a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system with 12 stations that are designed to cut commute times and boost development in New Taipei's southwestern districts of Tucheng, Sanxia, and Yingge, according to the New Taipei City Government Rapid Transit Systems website.

According to the city's Department of Rapid Transit Systems, the new metro line will strengthen integration across Taiwan's four northern municipalities: Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan.

Lee Cheng-an (李政安), head of the department, said the Sanying Line is undergoing a series of tests, including factory, installation, dynamic, and integration phases.

He said noise insulation and reduction measures have progressed, with "substantial completion" expected in December this year.

New Taipei City Transportation Department Director-General Chung Ming-shih (鍾鳴時) said the city will begin planning connecting shuttle routes, improved pedestrian walkways, and traffic and parking logistics in July.

Shuttle connections and improved pedestrian pathways will enable riders to navigate the system more easily, and they are being prepared for the launch, the New Taipei City Government said on Wednesday.

In a report delivered at a New Taipei City Government meeting on Wednesday, the department said it had reopened bidding for the CQ880B contract on the Tucheng-Shulin Line.

The contract covers civil engineering and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work on the Tucheng elevated section, and was reissued after receiving no bids during its previous round on Feb. 27, despite a budget of more than NT$11.8 billion (US$401 million), the department said.

The New Taipei City Government took over the project from the Taipei City Government in April and relaunched the tender following a review.

The Sanying Line project was approved by Taiwan's Executive Yuan in 2015, and construction began in earnest in July 2016.