TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) New Taipei City Councilor Chang Chia-ling (張嘉玲) inspected a section of the Taipei MRT Circular Line damaged by the April 3 earthquake, which has resulted in the suspension of service between Banqiao and Zhonghe.
Civil engineers and MRT staff accompanied Chang on Monday (May 13) as she inspected the damaged track, including displaced steel box girders. Chang said no one can absolve themselves of responsibility associated with the damaged track, urging more accountability, saying a scientific, systematic inspection of the entire line had yet to be carried out.
Chang told CNA that the number of seismic measuring instruments at Circular Line stations was insufficient and unable to detect earthquake information. She recommended more exchanges with countries like Japan, which has an extensive subway system and is also prone to earthquakes.
Chang said there were 137 reports of damage on the line from Jingan Station to Banxin Station, including damage to support pads, track base, track gaskets, expansion joints, sound insulating walls, track deformation, and fractures. The time frame for completing repairs was initially set at one year, though an appraisal from an impartial third party is still underway.
New Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems Construction Division Deputy Director-General Chen Chih-ming (鄭智銘), who accompanied Chang, said the cause of the damage is still under investigation and it has yet to be determined if structural problems or natural disasters were the main cause of service disruption. If beams and columns need replacement that would further increase repair time.
Taipei and the New Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems have agreed that New Taipei will restore Circular Line service. Initial repair costs are expected to be NT$442 million (US$13.6 million), which will be initially covered by the New Taipei City Government's disaster reserve fund, and later, a detailed expense plan will be sent to New Taipei’s Finance Department for review and allocation of funds.
