MRT Extension Linking New Taipei and Taoyuan set to start in 2026

Taipei, Aug. 1 (CNA) Taiwan's government on Friday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026.

The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan's Green Line, New Taipei Metro Corp. said in a statement.

This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng, Sanxia and Yingge in New Taipei that is scheduled to open in March 2026.

The core line includes 12 stations and is designed to shorten commute times across southwestern New Taipei, the company said.

Together, the two projects will improve public transit integration between Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan, part of a long-term effort to build a seamless metro network in northern Taiwan, the company said.

The newly approved extension will cost around NT$16.06 billion (US$496 million), with the central government covering NT$9.12 billion. Design work has already started ahead of schedule, and a formal budget proposal will be submitted in mid-August.

The Sanying project was first approved in 2015, and construction began in 2016. Recent updates show that track work, safety testing, and noise reduction measures are nearing completion, with final system integration expected by late 2025.