TAIWAN WILL BE FOURTH ASIAN COUNTRY WITH CITY-AIRPORT LINK|機捷將通車 亞洲第4個可市區預辦登機

The airport express will finally start running soon, with flight check-in available at Taipei Main Station. Taiwan will become the fourth country in Asia where you can check in for a flight in the city. However, there are disputes about the ticket prices, which are thought to be unattractive for daily commuters. Whether it can really act as a useful extension to the existing MRT system remains to be seen. Once the Taoyuan International Airport MRTstarts running, passengers will be able to check in for their flights and check in their luggage at Taipei Main Station in the capital city. It will be the fourth country in Asia where the service and infrastructure is available, after Hong Kong, Korea and Malaysia. There will be staff for those unfamilar with the system. The check in is only availale at Taipei Main Station and must be done three hours prior to flight time. After checking in baggage, passengers board the MRT's airport carriages which are purple. Ordinary carriages are blue. Direct MRTs to the airport run from three stations: Taipei Main Station, known as A1. New Taipei City Industrial Park, or A3 and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Station, known as A8. Taipei Main Station to the airport will clost NT$160. Tickets for the direct airport service and the ordinary service to other stations on the line cost the same, which is the subject of hot dispute. Although there are three types of ordinary ticket, some say these are too expensive and before the MRT has started runnning, the MRT company launched another discount ticket for direct trains stopping within three kilometers of main stations along the line, these correspond with the main commuter districts. ==CHENG WEN-TSAN Taoyuan City Mayor (archive video)== Hsinchuang commuter district single ticket NT$35, Linkou commuter district NT$80, Nankeng commuter district single ticket NT$120 and season tickets, NT$1,400 NT$2,000 and NT$3,000. ==LEE KE-TSONG Asst. Prof., Feng Chia Uni. Dept of Transport Tech. and Mngmnt.== As a local MRTsystem, the ticket price should be like a local MRT like Taipei or Kaohsiung. For the airport sections from large stations, it can be a bit more expensive. As well as disputes on ticket prices, the whole project has had three delays. Originally it was supposed to be operational by January 2009, in 2006 it was announced that it would be delayed until 2013 and it was then delayed a further five times. Reasons varied from changes to plans on contract bidding, problems with the signalling system, disputes with contractors and speed and journey times not being up to agreed standards. The original date for completion has changed a total of six times. == HO CHEN TAN Minister MOTC (archive video)== Minister when would you like it to be operational? We hoped for the earlier end of the year. Just 53 kilometers of MRT have been in planning for 20 years, and under several changes of government it is finally about to start operating. It remains to be seen if it will prove to be the hoped for Taipei, New Taipei and Taoyuan commuter link. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 機場捷運通車在即，未來在台北站就可預辦登機，台灣將成為亞洲第四個可以在市區預辦登機的國家，但機捷的票價引發爭議，還被認為對通勤族沒吸引力，通車後，能否真的如當初規劃，兼具機場快線和區域捷運雙重身分，有待觀察。 旅客輕觸螢幕，列印出條碼綁在行李上，放進輸送系統，完成自助預辦登機和託運行李，機場捷運通車後，台灣將成為亞洲繼香港、韓國、馬來西亞之後，第四個可以在機場外，預辦登機的國家，如果不熟悉自動系統，也有人工服務。 機場捷運只能在台北站預辦登機，必須在飛機起飛三小時前完成作業，託運行李後，旅客進入站間選擇合適的班車，直達車的車身塗裝是紫色，普通車則是藍色。 直達車只停靠A1台北車站，A3新北產業園區站，A8長庚醫院站，以及機場一航廈和二航廈共五站，台北站到一航廈票價訂價160元。但直達車與普通車票價相同，引起極大爭議，雖然有三種通勤票，仍被認為太貴，桃捷公司在通車前，又推出"直達車停靠大站三公里內優惠票價" ，讓三大通勤生活圈票價再降。 ==桃園市長 鄭文燦== 新莊生活圈(單程)35元 林口生活圈(單程)80元 南崁生活圈(單程)120元 通勤價分別是 400元 2000元 跟3000元 ==逢甲大學運輸管理系副教授 李克聰== 擔任區域捷運的角色 就應該像台北捷運 高雄捷運 這樣的票價結構 至於機場的部分的話 幾個大站之間的話 票價可以訂得比較貴 除了票價爭議，過去機場捷運通車時間也是一波三折，原定2009年1月通車，在2006年就宣布，要延到2013年，接下來又連續延展五次，原因從招標計畫修改，到號誌機電系統出問題，還有包商契約糾紛，以及列車行車時間未達標，通車時程共跳票六次。 == 交通部長 賀陳旦== 部長 你希望什麼時後完成(通車) 我們當然希望 上半年的更上半年一點　 短短53公里的機場捷運，從興建規劃耗時20年，歷經政黨輪替，終於要上路，但除了是機場快線，是否能如規劃者期望，成為串起台北新北和桃園的區域捷運，就等上路後見分曉。