Ximen Station

Ximen (formerly Hsimen) 西門
Ximen Station platform 1
Location	No. 32-1, Baoqing Road Zhongzheng and Wanhua, Taipei Taiwan
Operated by	Taipei Rapid Transit System
Line(s)	Line 3 (G13)      Line 5 (BL6)
Connections	Bus stop
Construction
Structure type	Underground
History
Opened	December 24, 1999
Traffic
Passengers	117,753 daily (2011)[1] (Ranked 3rd of 89)

The Taipei Metro Ximen Station (formerly transliterated as Hsimen Station from 1999 until 2003) is located between the Zhongzheng and Wanhua districts in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, Xiaonanmen Line, and Songshan Line.^[2]

The station is named for the old west gate of the city, whose location is roughly where the current station is located.

Station overview

Ximen Station Platform 2.

The station is a three-level,^[3] underground structure with two island platforms and six exits.^[4] The two platforms are stacked, thus allowing for cross-platform interchange between Line 3 and Line 5. Washrooms are inside the entrance area. In November 2010, the daily ridership at Ximen Station was 112,000,^[5] making it the fourth busiest station on the network, just behind Taipei Main Station, Taipei City Hall and Zhongxiao Fuxing Station.

It is situated under Zhonghua Rd, at the intersection of Chengdu Rd, Hengyang Rd, and Baoqing Rd. The station is also connected to the Ximen Intelligent Library (an unmanned branch of the Taipei Public Library).

Exit 6 is heavily used by young people accessing the Ximending shopping area. The exit opening is set at the top of the pedestrian zone, although there is still vehicular traffic in that area. The station is often crowded on weekends, especially in the afternoon.

History

TRA Station

• During Japanese rule, the station was called Shinkichō (新起町) Field, opened on November 5, 1930. It was specifically for refueling and its location was roughly where the current station is today.
• After the war during post-war rebuilding, the station's name was changed to the current "Ximen Station". However, the station location had disappeared due to illegal construction, so the station could not be reconstructed. An underground emergency station opened on September 2, 1987 as part of the Taipei Railway Underground Project.

Ximen Station used to be a station on the TRA Western Line. However, the underground area is nowadays only used as an emergency station and not open for revenue service.

Taipei Metro Station

• December 24, 1999: Nangang Line platforms 1 and 3 open with the opening of the Taipei City Hall to Longshan Temple segment.
• August 31, 2000: Xiaonanmen Line platforms 2 and 4 open with the opening of the Ximen to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall segment.
• November 15, 2014: The Songshan Line opens for revenue service, hence all Xiaonanmen Line trains continue to the Songshan Line and Xindian Line.

In the past, plans for the Taoyuan Airport MRT had this station as a terminus. However, the route has since been altered and the station is no longer on the planned route. (Ximen Underground Passageway)

Station layout

Exits

• Exit 1: Intersection of Hanzhong St. and Chengdu Rd.
• Exit 2: Zhonghua Rd. Sec. 1
• Exit 3: Baoqing Rd.
• Exit 4: Hengyang Rd.
• Exit 5: Intersection of Zhonghua Rd. Sec. 1 and Xiushan St.
• Exit 6: Intersection of Hanzhong St. and Chengdu Rd.

Around the station

• Ximending Pedestrian Zone
• BoAi Road Camera Shops
• Far Eastern Department Store FE21 (Baoqing Branch)
• Eslite 116
• Environmental Protection Administration
• Taipei Public Library (Ximen Intelligent Library)
• Red House Theater
• Taipei Zhongshan Hall
• Qingshui Temple
• National Taipei College of Nursing.^[6]
• Ximen Elementary School

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ximen Station.

Coordinates: 25°02′34″N 121°30′31″E / 25.0427238°N 121.508577°E / 25.0427238; 121.508577