Route of underground railway between Songshan and Nangang stations opens on September 21, 2008
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The track switching work of TRA's railways from Songshan station to Nangang station of Nangang Project was performed at 11pm on September 20, 2008. After the staff's intensive hard working through out the night, the route of underground railway between Songshan and Nangang stations successfully opened on the morning of September 21, 2008.
Nangang Project is the fourth phase of underground railway works in Taipei. It began in November, 1998, and was executed by stages and sections. The route just opened is about 7.6 km long. After the operation was switched to the underground this time, all the level crossings in Taipei were eliminated, which can ensure rail transportation safety and improve urban landscape.
The new Songshan sation, upon completion, will be a rail and business building. Its total floor area is about 49,586 square meters. Further building on the station, which is about 33,057 square meters in total floor area, is planned to be a BOT project designed for parking and multi-use purposes. The BOT building will connect the important markets in front as well as in back of the station together, which is believed to bring much more business opportunity to the Songshan District upon completion.
The entire floor area of new Nangang station is about 264,456 square meters, the further BOT area is about 168,590 square meters. In the future, it will become a new transportation hub, which combines TRA, HSR, MRT, intercity coach, and local bus systems, in the eastern part of Taipei City. The co-constructed part of Academia Road section of Nangang Line of Taipei MRT, which is constructed by RRB on behalf of Taipei City Government, is scheduled to be finished and handed over in August, 2009. In addition, through Neihu Line of Taipei MRT, passengers can transfer to Nangang Software Industrial Park and Neihu Technology Park. Therefore, a boom in Nangang District will hopefully arrive in the near future.
After the opening of the route, the first stage of Nangang Project was completed. The following up works of stage 2, such as the co-constructed part with Nangang Line of Taipei MRT and HSR tunnel works, road-refilling and landscaping works will continue. It is scheduled that the whole project will be finished by August, 2011.
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