Graphic: Tainan City government / The gray dotted line is the currently Taiwan Railway-operated train line.
Tainan, March 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) approved plans for the Tainan MRT on Thursday, with the public transportation project slated to commence construction in 2026.
A statement issued by Tainan's Bureau of Transportation announced that the ministry's committee convened to review the initial phase of the Tainan MRT blue line, which will connect the city's railway network and technology park, approved the MRT system design, cost, route, evacuation planning, and other details.
Tainan City Government will now revise the plans and submit a final proposal to the ministry, the bureau added.
The ministry will subsequently submit the plans to the Executive Yuan for further assessment, the bureau said.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) noted the significance of the blue line as a cornerstone of the city's MRT network, with future lines intended to connect key areas and bolster Tainan's status as a technological hub.
Wang Ming-te (王銘德), head of the transportation bureau, said the blue line, which will span 8.93 kilometers, will traverse densely populated Yongkang, East, and Rende districts, feature 10 stations and a maintenance facility.
Wang noted that the MRT project also passed a review by a Ministry of Environment task force on Feb. 23.
As a result, the construction of the metro service is slated to begin in 2026, with operations expected to commence in 2031, Wang said.
In addition, Wang said that the transportation ministry has announced plans to hold a review meeting to discuss the future development of the dark green, red, and green lines in the city, aiming to enhance Tainan's MRT infrastructure.
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