Tainan's First MRT Blue Line Phase 1 Strives for Bidding by Year-End
The Executive Yuan's Public Construction Commission conducted a site visit and review meeting for Tainan City's Advanced Transportation System Blue Line Phase 1, aiming for successful bidding by the end of this year. The line will span approximately 8.55 kilometers through Yongkang, East, and Rende districts, featuring 10 elevated stations and one depot. Legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party urged for prior handling of underground culvert and pipeline works to prevent construction delays and mitigate traffic impact.
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- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 14:26
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Tainan, April 14 (CNA) The Executive Yuan's Public Construction Commission today conducted a site visit and review meeting in Tainan City for the Advanced Transportation System Blue Line Phase 1, hoping to successfully award the contract by the end of this year. Local representatives, however, reflected that underground culvert and pipeline engineering should be handled first to avoid construction delays.
The Executive Yuan's Public Construction Commission today arranged a site visit and review meeting for the basic design of Tainan City's Advanced Transportation System Blue Line Phase 1. Chairman Chen Chin-te and several review committee members successively visited the planned station locations at the intersection of Dongmen Road and Zhonghua East Road in the East District, and Zhonghua East Road and Xiaodong Road, listening to the Tainan City Government's briefing and offering suggestions. They then proceeded to the city hall for the review meeting.
Tainan City Government Transportation Bureau Director Wang Ming-te briefed that Phase 1 of the Blue Line will pass through Zhonghua Road in Yongkang District, Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road in the East District, and Zhongshan Road in Rende District. It is divided into the Rende Line and the Cultural Center Line, with a total length of approximately 8.55 kilometers, featuring 10 elevated stations and one Rende depot along the route. The Rende Line will connect to the Blue Extension Line to Guiren and Tainan HSR Station in the future, while the Cultural Center Line will connect to the Red Line and further link with Kaohsiung MRT.
Wang Ming-te stated that the overall Phase 1 Blue Line is a Y-shaped route, with the two lines separating at the intersection of Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road. For the turning section, there are currently two options: a flat curve and a stacked curve. The former has a smaller structural volume, which can reduce visual oppression, but has more speed reduction during turns. The latter allows for more competition among contractors and less speed reduction during turns, but the three-story elevated design has a larger structural volume and visual oppression.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien, who participated in the site visit, stated that the intersection of Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road is a crucial node for this project. Both curve options have their pros and cons. The flat curve option has fewer contractors capable of doing it, but if the stacked option is adopted, more columns would be needed. He hoped that the city government and the Public Construction Commission could quickly reach a conclusion and accelerate the review process to start construction this year.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu stated that Zhonghua East Road is an important road from Yongkang to the East District, and Dongmen Road is a major traffic artery from the city center to Rende and Guiren. The intersection usually has heavy traffic, and the MRT construction might lead to about five years of traffic congestion.
He said that there are also underground drainage culverts and water pipelines that need to be dealt with. In addition, Tainan often experiences construction halts due to the discovery of historical sites after excavation. He hoped that related underground engineering could be started first to avoid overall delays, making the surface construction time as short as possible to reduce the impact on residents' lives.
Chen Chin-te stated that this project's feasibility study was proposed during President Lai Ching-te's tenure as Tainan Mayor, and the comprehensive planning report was approved by the Executive Yuan at the end of last year. President Lai has a long-term plan for Tainan's development and attaches great importance to the progress of this project. Today, review committee members were arranged for a site visit and meeting to provide suggestions on the basic design content and funding. The consulting company will be required to refer to and adjust them to ensure the project is completed on schedule and with quality.
Chen Chin-te stated that after all central government approval work is completed, it can be handed over to the Tainan City Government for bidding based on the approved content. He hoped that the bidding could be successfully completed by the end of this year, bringing more expectations to citizens.
According to the Executive Yuan's approved comprehensive planning report for Phase 1 of the Blue Line, the total construction cost is NT$32.731 billion, of which the central government will subsidize NT$19.359 billion, and the city government will self-fund NT$13.372 billion. The estimated construction period is about 6 years. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150414
The Executive Yuan's Public Construction Commission today arranged a site visit and review meeting for the basic design of Tainan City's Advanced Transportation System Blue Line Phase 1. Chairman Chen Chin-te and several review committee members successively visited the planned station locations at the intersection of Dongmen Road and Zhonghua East Road in the East District, and Zhonghua East Road and Xiaodong Road, listening to the Tainan City Government's briefing and offering suggestions. They then proceeded to the city hall for the review meeting.
Tainan City Government Transportation Bureau Director Wang Ming-te briefed that Phase 1 of the Blue Line will pass through Zhonghua Road in Yongkang District, Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road in the East District, and Zhongshan Road in Rende District. It is divided into the Rende Line and the Cultural Center Line, with a total length of approximately 8.55 kilometers, featuring 10 elevated stations and one Rende depot along the route. The Rende Line will connect to the Blue Extension Line to Guiren and Tainan HSR Station in the future, while the Cultural Center Line will connect to the Red Line and further link with Kaohsiung MRT.
Wang Ming-te stated that the overall Phase 1 Blue Line is a Y-shaped route, with the two lines separating at the intersection of Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road. For the turning section, there are currently two options: a flat curve and a stacked curve. The former has a smaller structural volume, which can reduce visual oppression, but has more speed reduction during turns. The latter allows for more competition among contractors and less speed reduction during turns, but the three-story elevated design has a larger structural volume and visual oppression.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien, who participated in the site visit, stated that the intersection of Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road is a crucial node for this project. Both curve options have their pros and cons. The flat curve option has fewer contractors capable of doing it, but if the stacked option is adopted, more columns would be needed. He hoped that the city government and the Public Construction Commission could quickly reach a conclusion and accelerate the review process to start construction this year.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu stated that Zhonghua East Road is an important road from Yongkang to the East District, and Dongmen Road is a major traffic artery from the city center to Rende and Guiren. The intersection usually has heavy traffic, and the MRT construction might lead to about five years of traffic congestion.
He said that there are also underground drainage culverts and water pipelines that need to be dealt with. In addition, Tainan often experiences construction halts due to the discovery of historical sites after excavation. He hoped that related underground engineering could be started first to avoid overall delays, making the surface construction time as short as possible to reduce the impact on residents' lives.
Chen Chin-te stated that this project's feasibility study was proposed during President Lai Ching-te's tenure as Tainan Mayor, and the comprehensive planning report was approved by the Executive Yuan at the end of last year. President Lai has a long-term plan for Tainan's development and attaches great importance to the progress of this project. Today, review committee members were arranged for a site visit and meeting to provide suggestions on the basic design content and funding. The consulting company will be required to refer to and adjust them to ensure the project is completed on schedule and with quality.
Chen Chin-te stated that after all central government approval work is completed, it can be handed over to the Tainan City Government for bidding based on the approved content. He hoped that the bidding could be successfully completed by the end of this year, bringing more expectations to citizens.
According to the Executive Yuan's approved comprehensive planning report for Phase 1 of the Blue Line, the total construction cost is NT$32.731 billion, of which the central government will subsidize NT$19.359 billion, and the city government will self-fund NT$13.372 billion. The estimated construction period is about 6 years. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150414