First driverless, automated train will cut commute from 50 to 20 minutes

The first of 35 fully automated Metropolis trains from French company Alstom, which is planned for a new Light Green Line metro system, has made its debut in Taiwan. When complete, the entirely automated 22.8-km (14-mile) line will shave 30 minutes off the current commute time end to end, taking just 20 minutes to travel the entire route between New Taipei City and the capital Taipei.

The four-car stainless-steel train was unveiled at Jincheng Depot in New Taipei City's Tucheng District, after an 18,000-km (11,187-mile) journey from its assembly plant in Brazil to Singapore and then on to Taiwan. The four 26-seat cars will be able to accommodate 700 passengers (108 seated) along the new below- and above-ground line, linking Taipei central with one of the region's most rapidly developing areas, New Taipei City.

"We are delighted to deliver the first fully automated Metropolis train for the Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin line," Toby Tiberghien, Managing Director of Alstom East Asia, told media at the launch ceremony. "This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing Taiwan's urban mobility. Our state-of-the-art trains will significantly improve connectivity between Taipei and New Taipei City, providing passengers a more efficient and seamless travel experience."

The NTD 55.881 billion (US$1.72 billion) Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin line – also known as the Light Green Line – has been a decade in the making, with the nine-station, 9.5-km (5.9-mile) first stage is now due to open in 2027. Meanwhile, the 13-station, 13.3-km (approximately 8.1-mile) second stage was originally expected to be complete in 2027, but is now expected to be operational by 2031.

A joint venture by Paris-based Alstom and Taiwanese engineering and contracting services company CTCI, the massive project will eventually see these 35 driverless, fully automated trains running day and night along the Light Green Line. In 2021, Alstom also won a $760 million contract to supply infrastructure and 29 more autonomous trains for the work-in-progress 52-km (32-mi) Circular (Yellow) line that will eventually connect outer Taipei with New Taipei City. Currently, Hitachi Rail Italy has provided 17 driverless, electric trains for the first stage of this line, and will add another 29 to the 80% complete Sanying (Light Blue) line project in New Taipei City.

The Metropolis models operate at a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and will function in conjunction with Alstom's Urbalis Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) driverless signaling system and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

The trains set for the Light Green Line will also fittingly feature prominent light green livery. The design, titled Vitality (朝氣蓬勃), is inspired by "scenic routes such as the Sindian River and Dahan River" and was chosen by the public in a competition back in 2021.

“With the Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin Line, we are not just building a metro line; we are enhancing connectivity, reducing travel times, and promoting sustainable urban living," said Alstom Asia Pacific President Ling Fang. "This project is a significant step forward in our commitment to improving public transport and fostering economic growth for the communities we serve.”

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih hosted the Metropolis delivery ceremony earlier this week.

“Taipei will work to have the first phase of the project completed by 2027, a goal that I share with Mayor Hou," said Chiang. "The line would facilitate travel from Chiang Kai-shek Hall to Wanhua, Yonghe, Jhonghe, Tucheng and business development along the line."

When the Wanhua-Jungho stage-one section of the line opens, it will cut the commute time from Zhonghe Senior High School at one end, to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall at the other, from 38 to 14 minutes.

“The line would offer a fast and satisfaction-guaranteed service," said Hou. "It would be an important MRT line connecting Taipei and New Taipei City when it is extended to Shulin and Huilong stations."

New Taipei City, a large region that surrounds the business hub of Taipei, is a rapidly growing area with favorable housing prices and general lower cost of living compared to the Taiwan capital. With more than four million residents, its been the center of a flurry of public transport, housing and commercial development over the last decade.

Sources: Alstom, Taiwan News