Research, Development and Evaluation Commission

At midnight of one Saturday, a group of people in Taipei Metro vests with backpacks got on the midnight Metro train, moving towards the secret base of Taipei Metro - Beitou Maintenance Depot. Guess who this mysterious group was? Taipei Metro Expedition Team it is!
Most of Taipei citizens cannot live without Taipei Metro today; however, very few know that lots of works lie ahead when the last train finishes the run at midnight. In order for citizens to learn about the complex and massive operations behind the scenes, “Taipei Metro Expedition,” one activity of “Friendly Tour in Taipei” series, invited people to enter the work area of Taipei Metro and see day-to-day operations.

“Sneaked” into Taipei Metro’s Secret Base
From the Operation Center to Beitou Maintenance Depot, the Expedition Team explored various departments of Taipei Metro. They were amazed how many works the Operation Center covers, ranging from broadcast announcements in the station to external communication in emergency. In the maintenance depot, they saw several kinds of maintenance vehicles and visited the operation site, seeing flashes and sparks coming out of the rail welding machines.

The Expedition Team also met the station chief of the Fuxing Metro Station. He introduced all the work to be done after the last train finishes the service, and shared night-shift staff’s special experiences with the participants.

Train Shower Show and the Train Dispatching Center
A very interesting activity, watching the automatic washing for the Metro trains, was also arranged for the expedition team. Taipei Metro takes the cleaning of trains seriously. Every washing session takes about 6~7 hours, including manual waxing and detailing by professional cleaners after the automatic washing.

The expedition team also visited the Train Dispatching Center. Train dispatchers explained in details how they control the moving directions of all Metro trains, and manage the scheduling and dispatching of trains for different lines every day.

A Mini Bar to Boost Energy
In order to ensure smooth operations, many staff have to work at midnight. The organizers consulted the night shift staff and set up a mini bar for the participants and those who worked at night to revitalize their energy, providing coffee, tea and several energy drinks. After a break at the mini bar, the team was rebooted for the rest of the midnight expedition.

Expedition Team’s Amazing Talents
Taipei Metro Expedition was only open for 30 participants this year. The registration became full in one minute after it was open to the public. These lucky participants are very knowledgeable about Taipei Metro. Many of them were incredibly quick in the Taipei Metro Knowledge Quiz. No matter how difficult or unknown the questions were, they could shoot the correct answers right away, such as the original names of Taipei Arena Station and Hongshulin Station. Moreover, one of the participants could recite the names of 103 stations in geographical order. The midnight expedition was like a reunion party for Taipei Metro fans.

Taipei Metro Expedition was the first activity of the kind held at midnight. Not only did it create an unprecedented experience, it also gave the participants an understanding of the hard efforts and complex operation behind the success of Taipei Metro. For more photos of “Taipei Metro Expedition” and latest news and events of “Friendly Tour in Taipei,” please go to https://www.facebook.com/taipei14 (Chinese).