New taipei: The Circular Line, Danhai Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Ankeng LRT in New Taipei will operate extended hours through New Year's Eve to accommodate the influx of crowds attending year-end festivities and fireworks displays, as announced by New Taipei Metro Corp.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Danhai LRT will enhance its capacity to Fisherman's Wharf in Tamsui by adding services on its Blue Ocean Line between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve. From 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., train services between the Binhai Shalun and Kanding stations will be substituted with shuttle buses running every five to eight minutes.

The LRT services will continue into the early hours of January 1, operating at 30-minute intervals from midnight to 6 a.m. Additionally, trains on the Circular Line will run at 12-minute intervals from 11 p.m. on December 31 to 1 a.m. on January 1, then switch to 15-minute intervals until 6 a.m.

Typically, the last trains on the Danhai LRT, Ankeng LRT, and Circular Line depart their terminals at 12:31 a.m., 12:14 a.m., and 12 a.m., respectively. In a bid to ensure safety and preparedness, the metro company conducted a multi-hazard emergency drill early Thursday morning. The exercise simulated scenarios involving a smoke bomb and a random knife attack inside a train, aiming to test emergency response mechanisms, the speed of police and fire brigade support, and the use of onboard self-defense and emergency equipment.

Efforts to enhance safety will continue in collaboration with the New Taipei City Police Department's Xindian Precinct, the Traffic Police Corps, the Fire Department, and the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. The company urged passengers to remain vigilant and report any unusual activities to station staff immediately.