TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei Metro (台北捷運) keeps the city alive, moving people through at least 2 million trips every day and gaining a reputation for punctuality and cleanliness. However, it faces increasing scrutiny as frequent delays and system failures, particularly on the Wenhu Line (文湖線), challenge its reputation for reliability. As of Oct. 26, Taipei Metro reported 46 delay incidents this year, primarily due to weather, passenger behavior, and train equipment or power issues.
Since 2015, Taipei Metro has recorded over 800 instances of disruptions, with nearly 200 incidents on the Wenhu Line alone, averaging less than two months between anomalies. In the past three years, disruptions on the Wenhu Line have impacted over 17,000 passengers, a rate that is significantly higher than with other lines. In July, passengers on the Wenhu Line found their morning commutes disrupted when multiple trains stopped due to a malfunction, with many waiting for an hour to board emergency shuttle buses to get to work.
Taipei Metro noted a decline in equipment failures and external factor-induced delays on the Wenhu Line, dropping from 21 incidents in 2023 to 10 last year, and only seven by October 2025. However, Taipei City Councilor Chen Yu-cheng (陳宥丞) highlighted that despite the decrease in incidents, the ones that do occur often happen during peak hours, especially on the Wenhu Line, which has eroded public trust in the entire metro system.
Despite this, however, the Taipei Metro remains among the world's most highly rated metro systems, according to a survey this year from Time Out, ranking 5th out of cities in 50 countries. The Taipei Metro is well-connected with bus, bike share, and other rail services, most of which are accessible with a single card. Within this metro system, Wenhu Line is unique in that it is the only line that is fully automated, and it carries nearly 2 million trips every day.
Chen Ching-wen (陳慶文), head of the Taipei Metro Rolling Stock Division, assured that trains undergo immediate replacement if inspections fall below standards or if tire tread wear reaches a certain limit. Despite these measures, the Wenhu Line experienced multiple train failures this year, the latest involving a traction motor current switch fault, causing resistor overload and signal line short-circuiting.
Cheng Shun-te (程順德), director of Taipei Metro Plant 4, announced plans to replace all damaged insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) components and enhance their protection, aiming for completion by the end of the year. Taipei Metro emphasized that the Wenhu Line's electric trains, with a service life of 40 years, remain below this usage limit. This year, they completed video system resets and updated equipment maintenance and lifecycle plans.
However, council members argue that structural differences and an aging system remain core issues that the line faces. Chen Yu-cheng noted that the upcoming bidding for the eastern section of the Circular Line (環狀線) crossing through Taipei's Neihu District (內湖) offers an opportunity for structural improvements on the Wenhu Line. He added that even if a complete overhaul of the line is needed, extensive work now could benefit the next generation of city residents.
Residents accustomed to Taipei Metro's stable operation hold high expectations for operational efficiency. However, as the Wenhu Line nears three decades of service amidst growing population pressures, enhancing system stability and reducing failure rates remain critical challenges for Taipei Metro.
