Taipei MRT’s Songshan line will open this Saturday, and EasyCard holders will be able to enjoy one months free travel on the line.

The 8.5 kilometer Songshan line is an extension of the Xindian line.

The new section travels from Ximen through six stations under Nanjing East Road to Songshan Train Station.

The line will reroute trains from Xindian in New Taipei, sending passengers west through Ximen  instead of the current north-south route on the Danshui Line.

The Taipei City government says the MRT transports some 1.82 million people daily, and that number is expected to jump to two million after the opening of the Songshan Line.

The new line increases number of transfer points on the Metro from nine to 12 and ensures that only one transfer will be needed to get from one line to another, with the sole exception of the Zhonghe-Xinlu (orange) line and Wenhu (brown) line, which never meet.

The Metro operator has also rolled out a coded number system for each of the five lines based on the time of their inauguration in a bid to make the system more accessible for international passengers.

The Wenhu (brown) line is now designated route No. 1; the Tamsui-Xinyi (red) line is route No. 2; the Songshan-Xindian (green) line will be route No. 3; the Zhonghe-Xinlu (orange) line is route No. 4; and the Bannan (blue) line is No. 5.

 
Feature image via Howard61313, map via TRTC