行政院公共工程委員會

Tainan’s first MRT project (Tainan Advanced Transit System Blue Line Phase I) has taken a key step forward. Minister without Portfolio and Chairperson of the Public Construction Commission (PCC), Executive Yuan, CHEN Chin-de, led a delegation on April 14 to conduct a site visit and inspection and convene the basic design review. The review concluded with a decision of “approved in principle.” Following clarification and revisions by the Tainan City Government in accordance with the review comments, the project will be able to proceed to the tendering and construction stages, moving toward the goal of completion by the end of 2031.

The total project cost of the Blue Line Phase I is approximately NT$32.731 billion, with a total length of about 8.39 kilometers. The plan includes 10 elevated stations and one depot. Chairperson CHEN noted that Tainan’s urban areas are characterized by narrow roadways and numerous historic sites; therefore, MRT construction must carefully consider its impact on the existing environment. The Blue Line adopts an elevated straddle-type monorail system, which features a relatively simple structural form, lower visual obstruction, and reduced noise levels. This technological choice is intended to accommodate the unique urban fabric of this historic city, alleviating traffic bottlenecks while minimizing impacts on the urban landscape and cultural heritage, thereby balancing infrastructure development with urban preservation.

In addition to system selection, Chairperson CHEN emphasized that the project team must implement net-zero emission policies and incorporate energy management into practical planning. He stressed that subsequent detailed design should integrate green energy planning, energy storage systems, and energy-efficient design to enhance the energy efficiency of both hardware and software of the MRT system, ensuring alignment between public transportation development and the nation’s net-zero transition goals. In the future, the Blue Line will connect Yongkang District, East District, and Rende District, and link to the Pingshi Transfer Station and Daqiao Station(TRC). It will serve as a key transportation corridor connecting “the historic city center, Southern Taiwan Science Park, and Shalun”, playing a crucial role in advancing President LAI Ching-te’s vision of a “Balanced Taiwan” and promoting regional development in southern Taiwan.

Legislators LIN Chun-hsien and WANG Ting-yu stated that the turning alignment at the intersection of Zhonghua East Road and Dongmen Road should be carefully planned, with emphasis on minimizing traffic and visual impacts, as well as pipeline relocation requirements, and reducing on-site construction duration. They noted that the public has high expectations for the MRT and expressed hope that the project can be successfully tendered and construction commenced within this year. Legislator WANG further suggested that the drainage and water supply pipelines beneath Zhonghua East Road—part of the main conveyance system of Nanhua Reservoir—should be relocated in advance to avoid potential delays during construction.

At the site visit and inspection on April 14, Legislators LIN Chun-hsien and WANG Ting-yu, representatives from the offices of Legislators CHEN Ting-fei and LIN I-chin, as well as Tainan City Councilors TSAI Hsiao-wei and TSU Tsing-hian, attended and expressed their expectations for project progress. The Tainan City Government expressed its appreciation for the central government’s guidance and support during the basic design stage. It will promptly address and clarify the revision comments raised by the review committee, striving to complete the required procedures in the shortest possible time and initiate the tendering process, ushering in a new era of rail transit development in Tainan.