Circular light rail
CAF Urbos 3 trams parked at Cianjhen Star
Overview
OwnerKaohsiung City Government
LocaleKaohsiung, Taiwan
Stations38[1]
Websitekrtco.com.tw
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemKaohsiung Metro
Operator(s)Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation
Depot(s)Cianjhen Depot
Rolling stockCAF Urbos 3[2]
Alstom Citadis 305[3]
Daily ridership10 000[4]
Ridership3,360,000 (2018)
History
Commenced16 October 2015 (2015-10-16) (phase 1)
Opened16 October 2015[5]
Technical
Line length22.1 km (13.7 mi)
Number of tracks2
CharacterAt-grade, elevated
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationElectric capacitor
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph) maximum[6]
Map

Kaohsiung Municipal
United Hospital
Longhua Elementary School
 Heart of Love River
Kaohsiung Museum
of Fine Arts
Aozihdi
Red line
Neiwei Arts Center
Sinshan Elementary School
West Coast line
Wanzihnei
Taiwan Railways Administration Museum of Fine Arts
Love River
Makadao
Dingshan Street
Taiwan Railways Administration Gushan
Kaohsiung Industrial High School
Shu-Te Home Economics
& Commercial High School
Gushan District Office
Science and Technology Museum Taiwan Railways Administration
Wenwu Temple
Science and Technology Museum
West Coast line
Shoushan Park
St. Joseph Hospital
Sizihwan
Wukuaicuo
Orange line
Hamasen
Kaisyuan Park
Penglai Pier-2
Department of Health
Dayi Pier-2
Wucyuan Elementary School
Love Pier
Kaisyuan Wuchang
Love River
Kaisyuan Ersheng
Glory Pier
LRT Depot
Cruise Terminal
depot
Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
Lizihnei
Software Technology Park
Kaisyuan Rueitian
Commerce and Trade Park
Cianjhen Star
Kaisyuan
Red line
Dream Mall
Kaisyuan Jhonghua
Circular light rail
Traditional Chinese環狀輕軌
Simplified Chinese环状轻轨

C1 Station (9 March 2015)
C3 station (27 August 2016)
C11 station (22 July 2017)
LRT C8 Station and the 85 Sky Tower

The Circular light rail (Chinese: 環狀輕軌) is a light rail loop line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, operated by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation.[7] The line stretches over a length of 22.1 kilometers and has 38 stations. The southern part of this line makes use of the defunct tracks of the Kaohsiung Harbor Railway Line. Construction cost was forecasted to be 16.5 billion New Taiwan dollars.[8]

Phase I consists of the section of the line from Station C1 to Station C14, of which Stations C3 and C14 are transfer stations to the KMRT Red line and Orange line, respectively. Construction of Phase I began on 4 June 2013.[9] Stations C1 to C14 were open on a test-basis (free for the public[10]) from August 2015, and commenced formal operations in September 2017.[11][12] From November 2014 onwards, the CAF Urbos trams used in these tracks were tested in this line parked on multiple occasions.

Phase II construction of the northern section partially began on 12 January 2021[13] after the underground relocation of the Kaohsiung urban railway. The northern part of Phase II was scheduled to be opened in June 2021 along with the rest, but was delayed until 1 January 2024 due to local opposition.[14][15]

History

Phase Segment Commencement Length (km) Stations
I Lizihnei - Hamasen 4 July 2016[9] 8.7[15] 14
II Phase 1 Hamasen - Gushan District Office
Lizihnei - Kaisyuan Park		 12 January 2021[15] 4.1[15] 9
II Phase 2 Gushan District Office - TRA Museum of Fine Arts 16 December 2021 1.8 3
II Phase 3 TRA Museum of Fine Arts - Heart of Love River 5 October 2022 2.4 4
II Full Heart of Love River - Kaisyuan Park 1 January 2024 5 7

Stations

CodeStation NameConnectionDistrict
EnglishChinese
— ↑ Loop line towards Depot ↑ —
C1Lizihnei籬仔內 Cianjhen
C2Kaisyuan Rueitian凱旋瑞田
C3Cianjhen Star前鎮之星 via Kaisyuan (R6)
C4Kaisyuan Jhonghua凱旋中華
C5Dream Mall夢時代
C6Commerce and Trade Park經貿園區
C7Software Technology Park軟體園區
C8Kaohsiung Exhibition Center高雄展覽館
C9Cruise Terminal旅運中心 (planned) Lingya
C10Glory Pier光榮碼頭
C11Love Pier真愛碼頭 Yancheng
C12Dayi Pier-2駁二大義
C13Penglai Pier-2駁二蓬萊 Gushan
C14Hamasen哈瑪星 via Sizihwan (O1)
C15Shoushan Park
(ALIEN Art Centre)		壽山公園(金馬賓館當代美術館)
C16Wenwu Temple文武聖殿
C17Gushan District Office鼓山區公所
C18Gushan鼓山 Taiwan Railways Administration Gushan
C19Makadao馬卡道
C20TRA Museum of Fine Arts Station臺鐵美術館 Taiwan Railways Administration Museum of Fine Arts
C21ANeiwei Arts Center內惟藝術中心
C21Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts美術館
C22Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital聯合醫院
C23Longhua Elementary School龍華國小
C24Heart of Love River愛河之心 via Aozihdi (R13)
C25Sinshang Elementary School新上國小 Zuoying
C26Wanzihnei灣仔內 Sanmin
C27Dingshan Street鼎山街
C28Kaohsiung Industrial High School高雄高工 (planned)
C29Shu-Te Home Economics & Commercial High School樹德家商
C30Science and Technology Museum科工館 Taiwan Railways Administration Science and Technology Museum
C31St. Joseph Hospital聖功醫院 Lingya
C32Kaisyuan Park凱旋公園 via Wukuaicuo (O8), via Culture Center (O7)
C33Department of Health衛生局
C34Wucyuan Elementary School五權國小
C35Kaisyuan Wuchang凱旋武昌
C36Kaisyuan Ersheng凱旋二聖 Cianjhen
C37LRT Depot輕軌機廠
— ↓ Loop line towards Lizihnei ↓ —

Rolling stock

CAF Urbos
Citadis 305

The line's fleet consists of nine CAF Urbos trams that are powered by supercapacitor banks.[16] The tramway cars are 34 meters (112 ft) in length, and are able to transport a total of 250 passengers (seated, and standing).[8]

15 Alstom Citadis 305 tramway cars entered service in November 2020.[17]

Ticket

Unlike the Kaohsiung Metro Red and Orange Lines, the Kaohsiung Light Rail is charged at a lower rate. As of January 2019, the fare for each light rail is NT$30. There is special rate of NT$10 by using a digital wallet (such as iPass, EasyCard, icash, etc.). Card readers are available at each station and inside of tramway. When paying the fare by the e-ticket (digital wallet), passengers are only charged one of them at each time. When paying by cash, passengers can purchase tickets at the ticket vending machines at each station for the ticket inspector to check.

Previous light rail demonstration project

The Siemens Combino vehicle was used for light rail demonstration at Central Park, Kaohsiung in 2004.

In 2004, the Kaohsiung City Government and Siemens built a temporary two-station circular light rail line in Central Park, operated by a single trainset, to demonstrate the feasibility of building a light rail system in Kaohsiung City. It was meant to alleviate some residents' concerns that light rail would negatively impact their surroundings by producing excessive noise and hindering normal traffic flow. This Siemens Combino vehicle would later become the D2 Class operated in Melbourne, Australia.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kaohsiung Light Rail". urbanrail.net. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  2. ↑ "Kaohsiung picks CAF to build catenary-free trams". Railway Gazette International. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  3. ↑ "The 1st tram for Kaohsiung arrives in Taiwan". 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  4. ↑ "Transport statistics". stat.motc.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  5. ↑ "領先全台 高雄輕軌4日正式通車 | 社會". 新頭殼 Newtalk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 4 July 2016. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  6. ↑ "KAOHSIUNG LRV". CAF. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  7. ↑ "Light Rail System - Project Content". Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  8. 1 2 "Trams: Kaohsiung Launches Taiwan's First Light Rail Service". Kaohsiung City Government. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  9. 1 2 "Kaohsiung begins circular light rail construction". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  10. ↑ Tim Berge (16 October 2015). "Kaohsiung LRT Opens to Public". ICRT FM.100. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  11. ↑ "About Taiwan". Info Taiwan. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  12. ↑ James Chuang (8 June 2015). "Kaohsiung light rail line set to go full circle". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  13. ↑ "New light rail stop - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Kaohsiung light rail system to be completed by 2023: mayor - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "New Kaohsiung circular light rail section to go into service Jan. 12 - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  16. ↑ "Trams: KAOHSIUNG TRAMWAY". CAF. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  17. ↑ "Alstom Citadis X05 trams enter service on South Circular LRT in Taiwan". Railway Technology. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
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