AIRPORT MRT LIKELY BEGINS TRIAL RUN DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR|機捷履勘完成 春節有機會試營運

After 20 years of construction and six delays, the Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line is highly likely to offer a trial run during the Lunar New Year. On December 30, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced that it had completed the inspections of the Airport MRT Line. According to the Minister of MOTC, the problems identified by the inspectors are minor issues that can be easily fixed very soon. It is expected that the Ministry will issue an operation permit to the Airport MRT Line no later than the Lunar New Year, and that the Taoyuan Metro will begin a trial run for individual tourists and tour groups during the Lunar New Year. After the Ministry of Transportation and Communications completed the inspection of the Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, the Minister of MOTC stated that an operation permit would be issued as soon as the problems identified are solved. A trial run might begin during the Chinese New Year. ==HO CHEN TAN, Minister of Transportation and Communications== We can be optimistic. There is an increasing possibility of a trial run before the Chinese New Year. The two-day inspection focused on how the Metro Company responded to a mass passenger flow and disruptions caused by faulty trains. The inspectors identified 41 areas that need improvements. Only eight problems must be solved before the official commencement. The other problems identified had to do with signaling issues and unclear transit or exit information. ==LAN WU-WANG, Dep. Convener, Taoyuan Int'l Airport MRT Inspection Team== The main problems had to do with the connection to other public transit systems. The foot traffic should take place inside the station rather than the other way around; otherwise, it will cause major traffic problems. ==CHENG WEN-TSAN, Taoyuan City Mayor== We will work on the issues identified during the inspection and those identified during the trial run. The trial run services will be offered free of charge to individual tourists and tour groups for two weeks during the Chinese New Year. However, the official commencement of operation will not be confirmed until the improvements are verified by the Bureau of High-Speed Rail and approved by the MOTC. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 桃園機場捷運從設計規劃到興建歷經20年，通車時程6度跳票後，在昨天傍晚交通部宣布完成履勘作業，交通部長表示，履勘小組提出的缺失，不難在短時間內完成改善，所以最快能在春節前發出營運許可，可望在春節期間開放團體旅客和自由行旅客試乘。 機場捷運有機會在過年期間試營運！昨天傍晚交通部宣布完成履勘作業。交通部長表示，若缺失順利改善完成，預計可在春節前發出營運許可公文，最快春節期間就能試營運。 ==交通部長 賀陳旦== 我們可以樂觀地來期望 我們可以在春節前 做籌備通車的可能性 是大為提高的 為期兩天的履勘作業，主要著重在模擬演練，考驗捷運人員對於瞬間湧入大量旅客使用預辦登機的應變、和列車故障時的救援作業。履勘小組最終提出41項待改善事項，其中有8項營運前必須改善。大部分都是標示上的缺失，還有部分是轉乘資訊不足及出口動線的問題。 ==桃園機場捷運履勘小組副召集人 藍武王== 主要都是公共運輸 或者是說有一些 在做無縫接軌的地方 沒有內部化 應該到場站裡面去做內部化 而不要在路邊去發生 否則會造成交通的干擾 ==桃園市長 鄭文燦== 這段時間所發現的缺點 包括試乘階段所發現的缺點 還是要再改善 桃園市長表示，過年前將公布機場捷運試營運方案，初步會開放讓團體旅客和自由行旅客，免費試乘各2週。至於具體通車日期，則要等到高鐵局驗收須改善事項，交通部核准後，由桃園市政府決定。 王柏文 林國煌 台北報導