MOSC APPROVES KAOHSIUNG MRT EXTENSION TO LUJHU|高捷延伸路竹審查過 第一階段將延至岡山

After 15 long years, the Kaohsiung MRT has finally been approved by the Ministry of Science Technology to extend the line to the city's Lujhu District. The first phase is to construct the extension to the Gangshan Train Station, with a budget of 3.06 billion NT Dollars of which the city and central government each financed half. The line is expected to be in operation after 4 years. However some scholars believe, since the extension line is parallel to the railroad lines, it could result in a ridership decline. Kaohsiung City has been planning to build a complete Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network. Since 2011, Kaohsiung City Government proposed a plan of extending the Lujhu Line 27 times in the past 15 years, but each time was rejected by the central government. Mayor Chen Chu recently went to Taipei and proposed the plan again. The Ministry of Science Technology finally approved her proposal. The first construction phase is to extend the MRT line to the Gangshan Train Station. The budget total is NT$ 3.06 billion with a four-year construction time. ==CHOU TE-LI, Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Deputy Dir.== Actually, the extension line is aimed at different groups of passengers. The Gangshan-Lujhu Extension Line, will serve several large industrial areas including the Southern Taiwan Science Park. The businesses and population there have increased in recent years. Therefore our proposal was approved by central government. The second construction phase is to extend the MRT end point to Dahu Train Station, a total of 11.75 kilometers with a budget of NT$27.28 billion. The Lujhu Extension Line estimates higher passenger numbers as the line will pass through the Southern Taiwan Science Park and Benjhou Industrial Park. Researchers pointed out the MRT extension parallels with train lines and so MRT passenger numbers may not increase. ==CHENG UNG-HSIANG, Nat'l Cheng-kung Univ. Transportation Comm. Mgmt. Science Dept. Prof.== The question is, the passenger numbers for northern Kaohsiung are not as clear as passenger development in the downtown area. The current passenger numbers on the Red Line is nearly 130,000 per day, and the Orange Line has 40,000 passengers per day. Kaohsiung MRT assesses by 2013, numbers for the Lujhu Extension Line,could be nearly 10,000 passengers a day. However scholars warn Kaohsiung Government numbers were not up to expectations when MRT first started, and this may happen with the Lujhu Extension Line; therefore the city government needs to plan ahead for alternatives. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 想要建立完整的運輸脈絡，高雄市從民國100年開始向中央提報高捷路竹延伸線一、二階段計畫，市府歷經15年的時間，前後提報27次都被退件，最近一次市長陳菊再率領一級主管北上提案，獲國科會審核通過，第一階段將先延伸到岡山火車站，總經費30.6億元，預估4年後完工通車。 ==高市捷運局副局長 周德利== 其實它(路竹延伸線)有 不同的(乘客)群組 而且在岡山 路竹延伸線裡面 我們在高雄市的轄區裡面 有幾個重大的工業區 包括我們南科 那這些的生產值(跟人口) 基本上是在這幾年裡面 逐漸的已經提升 讓我們在整個說明裡面 獲得中央的肯定 第二階段末端將到湖內台鐵大湖車站，全長11.75公里，總經費272.83億元，捷運局預估，路竹延伸線行經南科高雄園區、本州工業區，不過學者認為台鐵與高捷平行，恐怕瓜分運量。 ==成大交通管理科學系教授 鄭永祥== 問題是 北高雄那個(運量)部份 目前的發展 還是沒有像在 高雄的市區裡面的發展那麼明顯 捷運紅線一日運量將近13萬人，橘線則是4萬多人，捷運局樂觀評估，120年路竹延伸線的運量，可望帶來一日近萬人的搭乘人口，不過學者認為，目前高捷的搭乘人數沒有當初規劃時這麼高，相同情況可能也會出現在路竹延伸線，市府恐怕還得多思考配套方案。 記者 王柔婷 陳顯坤 高雄報導