TAIWAN: The initial period of test running on the Taichung metro Green Line has been completed, ahead of planned opening of the line next year. Tests were focused on the driverless train systems and took place for almost a month.
The 16·7 km Green Line will serve 18 stations on an elevated alignment, with headways as short as 90 sec. Work on the route between Beitun and Taichung high speed railway station began in October 2009.
Services will operate with a fleet of 36 two-car driverless trainsets. Half of these have been supplied by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and half assembled locally by Taiwan Rolling Stock Co. The 44·3 m long trains have capacity for 536 passengers.
The Green Line is the first of three metro lines planned for Taichung. Plans are also in place to extend the initial route by 8 km.
