Tram systems in New Taipei
New Taipei is a municipality in northern Taiwan surrounding Taipei City. It encompasses densely populated urban districts, river valleys, mountainous countryside and stretches of the northern and north-eastern coastline. Together with Taipei and Keelung, it forms the core of the wider Taipei metropolitan area. Its varied attractions include the riverside town of Tamsui, the former mining town of Jiufen and the distinctive coastal scenery of Yehliu.
Public transport in New Taipei forms part of the wider metropolitan network, combining metro lines, light rail, local and regional buses, and conventional railway services. Taiwan High Speed Rail and the Taoyuan Airport MRT provide connections beyond the metropolitan area and to the international airport.
The city’s light rail systems serve two separate areas. Danhai Light Rail provides local connections within Tamsui and links with the Tamsui–Xinyi metro line at Hongshulin. Ankeng Light Rail serves communities in Xindian and connects with the Circular Line at Shisizhang. These interchanges allow passengers to continue across New Taipei and into Taipei’s wider metro network.
New Taipei has two geographically separate light rail systems: Danhai Light Rail in the north-west and Ankeng Light Rail to the south of Taipei.
Danhai has two routes sharing the section between Hongshulin and Binhai Shalun. The Green Mountain Line continues to Kanding in Danhai New Town, while the Blue Seaside Line branches towards Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf. The network serves residential neighbourhoods, educational institutions and the coastal leisure area around the harbour.
Ankeng operates a single route between Shuangcheng and Shisizhang, serving residential communities and local destinations along the corridor. Its connection with the Circular Line at Shisizhang provides access to the wider metropolitan rail network.
New Taipei currently has 3 tram lines, details of which can be found on the Lines tab.
New Taipei Metro Corporation operates both Danhai Light Rail and Ankeng Light Rail. Its official website provides route maps, station information, timetables, ticket information and service announcements.
Useful official links:
Rail transport in the area now forming New Taipei included a number of small light railways during the Japanese colonial period. Some used hand-pushed vehicles to carry passengers and goods, providing local connections before road transport became widespread.
One example was the Tamsui–Sanzhi light railway, which opened in 1917. Its main route ran approximately 15.2 kilometres from Tamsui to the settlement now known as Sanzhi, with ten stations. A shorter line also served Shuidui. The railway carried passengers and agricultural produce, including rice, tea, sweet potatoes and citrus fruit, linking rural communities with the markets and railway facilities in Tamsui.
The vehicles were propelled by hand, and the hilly terrain and basic infrastructure limited their speed and carrying capacity. Traffic peaked in the mid-1920s before declining as road transport developed. The railway closed in 1927, after around ten years of operation. Elsewhere, hand-pushed goods tramways connected the Taipei Bridge area in Sanchong with neighbouring settlements, including Xinzhuang and Luzhou.
Another light railway developed in the mountainous Wulai area. Built in 1928 to transport timber, it initially used manually propelled vehicles. As tourism developed around Wulai Waterfall, the railway also became a means of carrying visitors. Formal tourist passenger services began in 1963, and motorised operation was introduced in 1974.
A short section between Wulai and the waterfall survived as a tourist railway after its industrial role ended. Severe damage caused by Typhoon Soudelor forced its closure in 2015, followed by restoration and reopening in August 2017. It remains a separate attraction with forestry origins, rather than part of New Taipei’s modern urban light rail network.
The modern light rail systems were developed as new projects to improve connections between residential districts and the metropolitan metro network. Danhai Light Rail was intended to support the development of Danhai New Town and improve transport within Tamsui, while Ankeng Light Rail was designed to connect communities in Xindian with the Circular Line at Shisizhang.
The Danhai Light Rail plan received central-government approval in February 2013. Preparatory works began in August 2014, followed by main construction in November that year. The first construction phase comprised the Green Mountain Line and the initial section of the Blue Seaside Line towards Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf.
The Green Mountain Line was inaugurated on 23 December 2018, with public passenger services beginning on 24 December. Its 11 stations connected Hongshulin with Kanding, providing an interchange with the metro at Hongshulin and serving the developing residential areas of Danhai New Town. It became the first modern light rail system in northern Taiwan.
The first section of the Blue Seaside Line opened on 15 November 2020, adding three stations between Binhai Shalun and Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf. This extended services to the harbour and completed the initial Danhai network, comprising approximately 9.55 kilometres of route and 14 stations.
Ankeng Light Rail developed independently of Danhai, serving the Ankeng area of Xindian. Preparatory works began in November 2014, and main construction started in April 2016. The route combined ground-level and elevated sections, with a dedicated bridge across the Xindian River providing access to the Circular Line interchange at Shisizhang.
Construction was affected by labour and material shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic. Following testing and inspections, permission to operate was granted on 2 February 2023. Passenger services began on 10 February 2023, initially under trial operation, with nine stations between Shuangcheng and Shisizhang. The opening established New Taipei’s second separate modern light rail system.
New Taipei currently has 3 tram lines, which are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| V1 | The Green Mountain Line runs between Hongshulin and Kanding via Tamkang University, Tamsui District Office and Danhai New Town. |
| V2 | The Blue Seaside Line runs between Hongshulin and Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf via Tamkang University, Binhai Shalun and Shalun. |
| K | The Ankeng Line runs between Shuangcheng and Shisizhang via Taipei Xiaocheng, Ankang and Sunshine Sports Park. |
Danhai and Ankeng are physically separate light rail systems, both built to 1,435 mm standard gauge. Each combines elevated infrastructure with ground-level sections.
The Danhai network comprises approximately 9.55 kilometres of route, with seven elevated and seven ground-level stations. The Green Mountain Line includes the elevated corridor from Hongshulin through the built-up areas of Tamsui before descending to ground level towards Danhai New Town. The Blue Seaside branch adds three ground-level stations towards Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf.
The Ankeng line is approximately 7.5 kilometres long, with five elevated and four ground-level stations. Its infrastructure follows the hillside road corridor through Ankeng before crossing the Xindian River on the dedicated Anxin Bridge to reach the interchange at Shisizhang.
Traction power is supplied through 750 V DC overhead wiring, supplemented by onboard lithium batteries for operation on sections without overhead wires. The operator specifies maximum speeds of 70 km/h under overhead wiring and 50 km/h on wire-free sections, subject to local restrictions.
Stations use open access arrangements with ticket validators rather than conventional metro ticket gates. Both systems connect with the wider metro network: Danhai at Hongshulin and Ankeng at Shisizhang.
Both systems use trams built by Taiwan Rolling Stock Company, developed in cooperation with Voith Engineering Services. There are 15 trams allocated to Danhai and 15 to Ankeng. The vehicles share the same principal dimensions and layout, although their exterior styling and liveries differ.
Each tram consists of five articulated sections and has a fully low-floor passenger interior. Vehicles are approximately 34.45 metres long and 2.65 metres wide, with a floor height of 350 mm above rail level. The stated capacity is 265 passengers, including 62 seated. Open gangways provide access throughout the tram, with space for passengers using wheelchairs or travelling with pushchairs.
Danhai’s trams carry a predominantly blue-and-white livery inspired by the Tamsui waterfront, while Ankeng’s vehicles use a gold livery selected through a public vote. Both fleets are driver-operated and use onboard energy storage to travel through the wire-free sections of their respective networks.
The second phase of Danhai Light Rail is planned to extend the Blue Seaside Line from the Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf area to Tamsui MRT station, providing another interchange with the Tamsui–Xinyi metro line. The revised scheme comprises approximately 3.32 kilometres of double track and six new stations. It follows a waterfront alignment near central Tamsui, replacing an earlier proposal through the narrow streets of the old town.
Advance works began in June 2025, including road widening, utility relocation and short sections of track around the junction with the Danjiang Bridge approach. These works prepare the area for the extension and reduce the need to disturb the road infrastructure again during subsequent construction.
The revised project remains subject to central-government approval before the main construction programme can proceed. The published timetable envisages completion approximately five years after approval, so there is currently no confirmed opening date.