MRT – The Lifeline of Taipei | Wanndering

MRT – The Lifeline of Taipei

November 10, 2006 at 12:14 AM · Filed under Taiwan, Travel

MRT Logo We take some things in life for granted; for Taipei, its the MRT. Operational for almost a decade now and in many ways has transformed the city of Taipei and made it the modern metropolis as it stands today. Life, residents claim, was different then.

With a characteristic red-blue-orange-brown-green coloured ‘map’ crudely depicting the layout of this efficient mass transport system, MRT is a blessing for commuters and tourists alike.

<Click on the map for Romanised names of stations>

The MRT network coupled with the bus network makes point-to-point movement very simple in Taipei. Almost ALL signs in the MRT stations have English signs make it easy for foreigners. One needs to figure out the right MRT-bus network to get to the place of work and then more often than not, it works out better than taking a cab, in terms of time. Taipei MRT has more than a million ridership per day with a low on Sunday.
For the tourists, the MRT stations offer excellent tour guides which contains a clearly devised half-day or whole-day tours in and around Taipei using the MRT; also mentioning the connections toward the later leg of the journey. Even ‘faraway’ places like Yuanshan, Bali, Muzha etc. is accessible through the MRT, albeit with further connections. Tourists SHOULD NOT miss picking one of these brochures / tour guides. What else, bikes (bicycles) are allowed on the Red/Orange/Green lines which have the most beautiful sights enroute.

Wherever you are wandering, just find out the closest MRT to your hotel / hostel, so if you get lost when you are randomly exploring the city, you just need to look for this symbol and there you are back to a ‘familiar place’

The blue line is relatively boring because it is underground, nevertheless connecting most of the populated areas. The brown line is completely elevated and takes you right through the city. Red (Orange/Green) line is my favourite and its the most beautiful line. Its mostly underground and gets out into the open after Minquan and then the view changes. Instead of the boring station scenes, one can seen the beautiful mountains. Passing the stadium & gardens in Yuanshan, Shilin night market in Jiantan, hot springs in Beitou and finally Danshui where all the elements of the nature meet.

The MRT stations are all designed for easy movement of disabled people including ramps, toilets, doors etc.

Even if you are traveler for a week, get one of those MRT cards which can be used both in the buses and on the trains, costs NT$100 which is just the deposit. Just flash the smart card and leave the machine the burden of determining the fares and you walk away.

Wanndering – on foot and in spirit