Ridership on Taipei's subway system reached a new record around New Year’s Day. That’s the word from Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation on Thursday.
In the 24-hours between 6 a.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, the five lines of the Taipei Metro transported about 2.96 million passengers, up by 210,000 from a year earlier.
The metro reported smooth operations despite the increase in passengers, thanks to the assistance of more than 1,600 staff members and volunteers. The metro operator also said that the inauguration of the Songshan Line in mid-November boosted the capacity of the system, helping the entire network cope with the rush. The new line and the Xinyi Line that opened in 2013 helped stagger passengers, who in previous years could only crowd onto the Bannan Line to City Hall and Taipei 101 for the major festivities.