The Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail (Chinese: 高雄環狀輕軌) is a light rail loop line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, operated by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation.[7] The line stretches over a length of 22.1 kilometers and has 38 stations. The southern part of this line makes use of the defunct tracks of the Kaohsiung Harbor Railway Line. Construction cost was forecasted to be 16.5 billion New Taiwan dollars.[8]

Circular light rail
CAF Urbos 3 trams parked at Cianjhen Star
Overview
OwnerKaohsiung City Government
LocaleKaohsiung, Taiwan
Stations38[1]
Websitekrtco.com.tw
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemKaohsiung Metro
Operator(s)Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation
Depot(s)Cianjhen Depot
Rolling stockCAF Urbos 3[2]
Alstom Citadis 305[3]
Daily ridership10 000[4]
Ridership3,360,000 (2018)
History
Commenced16 October 2015 (2015-10-16) (phase 1)
Opened16 October 2015[5]
Technical
Line length22.1 km (13.7 mi)
Number of tracks2
CharacterAt-grade, elevated
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationElectric capacitor
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph) maximum[6]
Map

Kaohsiung Municipal
United Hospital
Longhua Elementary School
Heart of Love River
Kaohsiung Museum
of Fine Arts
Aozihdi
Neiwei Arts Center
Sinshan Elementary School
Wanzihnei
Taiwan Railway Museum of Fine Arts
Makadao
Dingshan Street
Taiwan Railway Gushan
Kaohsiung Industrial High School
Shu-Te Home Economics
& Commercial High School
Gushan District Office
Science and Technology Museum Taiwan Railway
Wenwu Temple
Shoushan Park
St. Joseph Hospital
Sizihwan
Wukuaicuo
Hamasen
Kaisyuan Park
Penglai Pier-2
Department of Health
Dayi Pier-2
Wucyuan Elementary School
Love Pier
Kaisyuan Wuchang
Kaisyuan Ersheng
Glory Pier
LRT Depot
Cruise Terminal
depot
Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
Lizihnei
Software Technology Park
Kaisyuan Rueitian
Commerce and Trade Park
Cianjhen Star
Kaisyuan
Dream Mall
Kaisyuan Jhonghua
Circular light rail
Traditional Chinese環狀輕軌
Simplified Chinese环状轻轨
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHuánzhuàng Qīngguǐ
Wade–GilesHuan²-chuang⁴ Chʻing¹-kuei³
Tongyong PinyinHuánjhuàng Cingguěi
Hakka
Pha̍k-fa-sṳFàn-chhong Khiâng-kuí
Southern Min
Hokkien POJKhoân-chōng Kheng-kúi

Map

C1 Station (9 March 2015)
C3 station (27 August 2016)
C11 station (22 July 2017)
LRT C8 Station and the 85 Sky Tower

Phase I consists of the section of the line from Station C1 to Station C14, of which Stations C3 and C14 are transfer stations to the KMRT Red line and Orange line, respectively. Construction of Phase I began on 4 June 2013.[9] Stations C1 to C14 were open on a test-basis (free for the public[10]) from August 2015, and commenced formal operations in September 2017.[11][12]

Phase II construction of the northern section partially began on 12 January 2021[13] after the underground relocation of the Kaohsiung urban railway. The northern part of Phase II was scheduled to be opened in June 2021 along with the rest, but was delayed until 1 January 2024 due to local opposition.[14][15]

History

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Phase Segment Commencement Length (km) Stations
I Lizihnei - Hamasen 4 July 2016[9] 8.7[15] 14
II Phase 1 Hamasen - Gushan District Office
Lizihnei - Kaisyuan Park
12 January 2021[15] 4.1[15] 9
II Phase 2 Gushan District Office - TRA Museum of Fine Arts 16 December 2021 1.8 3
II Phase 3 TRA Museum of Fine Arts - Heart of Love River 5 October 2022 2.4 4
II Full Heart of Love River - Kaisyuan Park 1 January 2024 5 7

Stations

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Code Station Name Connection District
English Chinese
— ↑ Loop line towards Depot ↑ —
C1 Lizihnei 籬仔內 Cianjhen
C2 Kaisyuan Rueitian 凱旋瑞田
C3 Cianjhen Star 前鎮之星   via Kaisyuan (R6)
C4 Kaisyuan Jhonghua 凱旋中華
C5 Dream Mall 夢時代
C6 Commerce and Trade Park 經貿園區
C7 Software Technology Park 軟體園區
C8 Kaohsiung Exhibition Center 高雄展覽館
C9 Cruise Terminal 旅運中心   (planned) Lingya
C10 Glory Pier 光榮碼頭
C11 Love Pier 真愛碼頭 Yancheng
C12 Dayi Pier-2 駁二大義
C13 Penglai Pier-2 駁二蓬萊 Gushan
C14 Hamasen 哈瑪星   via Hamasen (O1)
C15 Shoushan Park
(ALIEN Art Centre)
壽山公園(金馬賓館當代美術館)
C16 Wenwu Temple 文武聖殿
C17 Gushan District Office 鼓山區公所
C18 Gushan 鼓山   Gushan
C19 Makadao 馬卡道
C20 TRA Museum of Fine Arts Station 臺鐵美術館   Museum of Fine Arts
C21A Neiwei Arts Center 內惟藝術中心
C21 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts 美術館
C22 Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital 聯合醫院
C23 Longhua Elementary School 龍華國小
C24 Heart of Love River 愛河之心   via Aozihdi (R13)
C25 Sinshang Elementary School 新上國小 Zuoying
C26 Dashun Minzu 大順民族 Sanmin
C27 Wanzihnei 灣仔內
C28 Kaohsiung Industrial High School 高雄高工   (planned)
C29 Shu-Te Home Economics & Commercial High School 樹德家商
C30 Science and Technology Museum 科工館   Science and Technology Museum
C31 St. Joseph Hospital 聖功醫院 Lingya
C32 Kaisyuan Park 凱旋公園   via Wukuaicuo (O8), via Cultural Center (O7)
C33 Department of Health 衛生局
C34 Wucyuan Elementary School 五權國小
C35 Kaisyuan Wuchang 凱旋武昌
C36 Kaisyuan Ersheng 凱旋二聖 Cianjhen
C37 LRT Depot 輕軌機廠
— ↓ Loop line towards Lizihnei ↓ —

Rolling stock

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CAF Urbos
 
Citadis 305

The line's fleet consists of nine CAF Urbos trams that are powered by supercapacitor banks.[16] The tramway cars are 34 meters (112 ft) in length, and are able to transport a total of 250 passengers (seated, and standing).[8]

15 Alstom Citadis 305 tramway cars entered service in November 2020.[17]

Ticket

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Unlike the Kaohsiung Metro Red and Orange Lines, the Kaohsiung Light Rail is charged at a lower rate. As of January 2019, the fare for each light rail is NT$30. There is special rate of NT$10 by using a digital wallet (such as iPass, EasyCard, icash, etc). Card readers are available at each station and inside of tramway. When paying the fare by the e-ticket (digital wallet), passengers are only charged one of them at each time. When paying by cash, passengers can purchase tickets at the ticket vending machines at each station for the ticket inspector to check.

Previous light rail demonstration project

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The Siemens Combino vehicle was used for light rail demonstration at Central Park, Kaohsiung in 2004.

In 2004, the Kaohsiung City Government and Siemens built a temporary two-station circular light rail line in Central Park, operated by a single trainset, to demonstrate the feasibility of building a light rail system in Kaohsiung City.[citation needed] It was meant to alleviate some residents' concerns that light rail would negatively impact their surroundings by producing excessive noise and hindering normal traffic flow.[citation needed] This Siemens Combino vehicle would later become the D2 Class operated in Melbourne, Australia.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kaohsiung Light Rail". urbanrail.net. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  2. ^ "Kaohsiung picks CAF to build catenary-free trams". Railway Gazette International. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  3. ^ "The 1st tram for Kaohsiung arrives in Taiwan". 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  4. ^ "Transport statistics". stat.motc.gov.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  5. ^ "領先全台 高雄輕軌4日正式通車 | 社會". 新頭殼 Newtalk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 4 July 2016. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  6. ^ "KAOHSIUNG LRV". CAF. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  7. ^ "Light Rail System - Project Content". Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  8. ^ a b "Trams: Kaohsiung Launches Taiwan's First Light Rail Service". Kaohsiung City Government. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  9. ^ a b "Kaohsiung begins circular light rail construction". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  10. ^ Tim Berge (16 October 2015). "Kaohsiung LRT Opens to Public". ICRT FM.100. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  11. ^ "About Taiwan". Info Taiwan. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  12. ^ James Chuang (8 June 2015). "Kaohsiung light rail line set to go full circle". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  13. ^ "New light rail stop - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Kaohsiung light rail system to be completed by 2023: mayor - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  15. ^ a b c d "New Kaohsiung circular light rail section to go into service Jan. 12 - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  16. ^ "Trams: KAOHSIUNG TRAMWAY". CAF. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  17. ^ "Alstom Citadis X05 trams enter service on South Circular LRT in Taiwan". Railway Technology. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
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