New Taipei Metro to bolster New Year's Eve schedule

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) The Circular Line, Danhai Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Ankeng LRT in New Taipei will operate through New Year's Eve to accommodate crowds attending year-end festivities and fireworks displays, New Taipei Metro Corp. said Thursday.

To boost capacity to Fisherman's Wharf in Tamsui, the Danhai LRT will add services on its Blue Ocean Line between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

From 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., train services between the Binhai Shalun and Kanding stations will be replaced by shuttle buses operating at intervals of five to eight minutes, the company said in a statement.

LRT train services will be extended well into the morning of Jan. 1, operating at 30-minute intervals from midnight to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1.

At the same time, trains on the Circular Line will run at 12-minute intervals from 11 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, before shifting to 15-minute intervals from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., the statement said.

The last trains on the Danhai LRT, Ankeng LRT and Circular Line usually depart their terminals at 12:31 a.m., 12:14 a.m. and 12 a.m., respectively.

The metro company also said it conducted a multi-hazard emergency drill early Thursday morning, simulating a smoke bomb and a random knife attack inside a train.

The exercise aimed to test emergency response mechanisms, the speed of police and fire brigade support, and use of onboard self-defense and emergency equipment to buy time before first responders arrived.

Efforts to enhance safety will continue to be made with the New Taipei City Police Department's Xindian Precinct, the Traffic Police Corps, the Fire Department and the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp., the company said.

It also urged passengers to stay alert to their surroundings and report to station staff immediately when they see anything abnormal.