Service frequency on all Taipei mass rapid transit (MRT) lines bar the Wenhu (brown) line will be cut starting Monday amid a steep drop in passenger numbers due to COVID-19, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) announced Sunday.

TRTC said that average wait times during off-peak weekday hours (all times except for 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) on the Tamsui-Xinyi (red), Bannan (blue), and Zhonghe-Xinlu (orange) lines would increase from 15 to 30 seconds.

Train frequency during these times on the Songshan-Xindian (green) line will be reduced from one every 5-to-7 minutes to one every 6-to-8 minutes, and from every 9 minutes to every 10 minutes on the Circular (yellow) line.

On weekends and public holidays, meanwhile, train frequency before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. will be reduced from one every 4 minutes and 45 seconds to one every 9 minutes and 30 seconds on the Tamsui-Xinyi (red) and Bannan (blue) lines.

Additionally, train frequency on the Circular (yellow) line over the weekend and public holidays will be reduced from every 9 minutes to every 10 minutes.

TRTC said service frequency on all other lines during these times would remain unchanged, and that more trains may be added in the event of larger-than-expected passenger numbers.

In light of ever-rising domestic COVID-19 infections, the company also reminded passengers to spread out when occupying train cars and to wear a face mask at all times.

According to TRTC statistics, Taipei’s MRT lines carried around 1.3 million commuters in the first week of May, which dropped to 1.2 million in the second week and 1.15 million by the third week.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel