Xinbeitou branch line

The Xinbeitou branch line traces back to a heavy rail line built by the Japan's rule over Taiwan. A spur from the pre-metro Tamsui line, the line's name was transliterated as the "Shinhokutō Line" in Japanese and "Hsin Peitou Line" in Chinese. Completed on 1 April 1916, the line was built specifically to transport visitors from the city to the newly-developed onsen facilities around Xinbeitou. The line was closed at the end of 1944 during World War II. After a change in power to the Kuomintang, the Xinbeitou branch line was reopened to passengers in 1946.{{cite book |author1=李東明 |title=永遠北淡線 |publisher=玉山社 |date=2000 |location=Taipei |isbn=9578246323 |pages=142–147 |language=zh |chapter=新北投 — 台北的溫柔鄉}}{{cite news |author1=陳念慈 |title=臺灣縱貫鐵路 迷你幹線－新北投線 |agency=Central Daily News |date=30 December 1986 |language=zh}}

The line was served by single-car DR2100–DR2400 series diesel carriages that made round trips between Beitou and Xinbeitou stations. As Taipei's population grew, the branch transitioned from a touristic line to a commuter line, and was heavily used before its closure in 1988 for the reconstruction of the Beitou line into a rapid transit line (Tamsui–Xinyi line). Before the line's closure, the line was served by twenty-nine round trip services per day; each trip took around 90 seconds and cost {{currency|8|TWD}}. The daily ridership was around 22,000 passengers.{{cite news |title=新北投線最後列車除夕開出 明年元旦起不再奔馳 多位議員禹延期停駛 |agency=Central Daily News |date=28 December 1987 |location=Taipei |language=zh}}

Originally, the Xinbeitou branch line was to close permanently after the Tamsui line was converted into a rapid transit line. Xinbeitou residents successfully petitioned to the government for a branch line, arguing that it was an important transportation link for commuters.{{cite news |title=捷運系統新北投支線 居民反對撤銷 |agency=Central Daily News |date=14 August 1987 |language=zh}} The branch line's groundbreaking ceremony was held on 30 December 1988,{{cite news |title=捷運新北投線動土 訂民國八十年完工 |agency=Central Daily News |date=31 December 1988 |location=Taipei |language=zh}} and on 28 March 1997, the new rapid transit line re-opened for service as part of the Taipei Metro.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} According to the original design, trains leaving downtown Taipei would terminate at either Xinbeitou or {{stl|Taipei Metro|Tamsui}} station. Before the line's opening, Taipei Metro decided against this plan due to insufficient rolling stock.{{cite news |author1=顏瓊真 |title=電聯列車不足 到新北投需換接駁車 捷運淡水線一車到底行不通 |agency=Central Daily News |date=24 November 1996 |language=zh-tw}}

Since the line's opening, residents along the line have complained about noise from the trains due to the sharp curvature of the tracks and its close distance to apartment buildings on the sides. Rail grinding and the installation of noise barriers did not alleviate the noise by much.{{cite news |author1=孫惠琪 |title=新北投支線消音 捷局施工改善 解決沿線噪音問題 進行第三階段軌道研磨作業 |agency=Central Daily News |date=19 November 1997 |location=Taipei |language=zh-tw}} Shortly after opening, the train's frequency was reduced, the operating hours were shortened to 7 am and 9 pm, and the number of cars on each train was reduced from six to three.{{cite web |title=Starting September 14, the Xinbeitou Branch Line Will Resume Normal Operational Mode with 3-Carriage Train |url=http://www.trtc.com.tw/e/shownews1.asp?id=1430 |website=Taipei Metro |access-date=6 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009164816/http://www.trtc.com.tw:80/e/shownews1.asp?id=1430 |archive-date=9 October 2008 |date=12 September 2007}}

On 14 September 2007, Taipei Metro extended its operating hours to between 6 am and midnight. It was hoped that if the noise standards were deemed to be at an acceptable level that the current Orange line trains on the Red line could operate on the Xinbeitou Line instead.[http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2007/new/jul/14/today-taipei2.htm 新北投支線 八月增班正常營運] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517132727/http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2007/new/jul/14/today-taipei2.htm |date=17 May 2011 }}, The Liberty Times, 14 July 2007 Trains operate at a maximum headway of one per 7–8 minutes during peak hours.{{cite web|url=http://english.trtc.com.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1056506&ctNode=27495&mp=122032|title=Xinbeitou Branch Line|publisher=Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation|date=23 December 2009|access-date=16 December 2010|archive-date=2 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302235437/http://english.trtc.com.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1056506&ctNode=27495&mp=122032|url-status=dead}}

It has been reported that the line is operating at a loss.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100309205416/http://www.xianqiao.net:8080/gb/7/7/13/n1772112.htm 捷运新北投支线　不惜赔钱服务市民], 中广新闻, 13 July 2007 A proposal was put forth in 2005 that a low-speed maglev train similar to the Linimo in Japan would solve the problem of noise pollution,[http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2005/2005-07-21/26/601993.shtml 台北拟引进日本磁浮电车 最快2007年可亮相], China News Service, 21 July 2005 but its feasibility on operating costs became a subject of ridicule.

In July 2019, the soundproofing walls on the line were updated as part of newly-introduced through-operations to central Taipei.

{{Multiple image|perrow=1|width=220|image1=Taipei MRT Train C301 3CarSet No 3014.JPG|caption1=3-car C301 trains, which operated on the line until 2007.|image2=Taipei MRT Train C371 3CarSet No 3398.JPG|caption2=3-car C371 trains, which have operated on the line since 2007.}}

A modified C301 (trainset 013/014) originally operated on the line in a 3-car formation, making it unique on the system. From 2007 onwards, the train was replaced by a purpose-built C371 of a similar length.

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Category:Taipei Metro lines

Category:Railway lines opened in 1997