The Taoyuan Airport metro may to go into service at the end of the year, despite a failure to meet standards for speed and punctuality set forth in the contract.
The target date for opening the airport metro line has already been pushed back six times. The most recent target date had been set for March.
However, the line has yet to meet requirements for average speed and time between services laid out in the contract. The line is also struggling to meet the 35 minute limit the contract sets on travel time between Taipei Main Station and the airport’s Terminal One. Despite improvements, the journey still takes 36 minutes to complete.
The transportation ministry says that software problems are the main obstacles to meeting the requirements laid out in the contract. The ministry says it has asked the contractor responsible to fix software issues, but since a subcontractor is involved, the problems may take time to resolve.
Because earlier safety concerns have already been addressed, the transportation ministry may allow the line to open, with the expectation that problems with speed will be addressed later.
A spokesperson for the ministry said Saturday that talk about an airport line began 20 years ago, and that construction began ten years ago. The spokesperson said that service should begin as soon as possible, provided there are no further safety concerns.