TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Friday (Sept. 20) presided over a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of an underground tunnel that will be part of the Taoyuan Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.

The ceremony was located at what will be the third station on the new Taoyuan MRT Green Line (G03) in Taoyuan’s Bade District. When the MRT Green Line is completed, it will create a central route through Taoyuan that connects to a wider network of public transit lines around the city, linking the Taoyuan TRA Station with the airport MRT line and Taipei to the northeast.

Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) was also at the ceremony, where he expressed pride at the first underground MRT line to be constructed entirely under the supervision of the Taoyuan City Government, reports CNA. President Tsai encouraged the city and workers, expressing her confidence that construction would be completed according to schedule.

President Tsai also noted that Taoyuan is currently the fastest growing city in Taiwan and that with its improved transportation infrastructure, people will be able to move anywhere between Taoyuan, the airport, and greater Taipei within an hour. In order to support sustained growth in the city, both the local and national governments are working together to ensure successful economic development.

In addition to the completion ceremony of the new tunnel, Taoyuan also established the Taoyuan International Airport Industry Development Association this week, which will serve as a platform to integrate industry, policy, and research in order to boost the city’s future competitiveness and investment.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)