| Type: | Light rail |
| System: | Kaohsiung Metro |
| Locale: | Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
| End: | circular |
| Stations: | 38[1] |
| Daily Ridership: | 10 000[2] |
| Ridership2: | 3,360,000 (2018) |
| Open: | 16 October 2015[3] |
| Yearcommenced: | (phase 1) |
| Owner: | Kaohsiung City Government |
| Operator: | Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation |
| Character: | At-grade, elevated |
| Depot: | Cianjhen Depot |
| Stock: | CAF Urbos 3[4] Alstom Citadis 305[5] |
| Tracks: | 2 |
| Electrification: | Electric capacitor |
| Speed: | maximum[6] |
| Website: | krtco.com.tw |
| Map Name: | Map |
| Map State: | collapsed |
| Hp: | Huánzhuàng Qīngguǐ |
| Tp: | Huánjhuàng Cingguěi |
| W: | Huan²-chuang⁴ Chʻing¹-kuei³ |
| Poj: | Khoân-chōng Kheng-kúi |
| Phfs: | Fàn-chhong Khiâng-kuí |
The Circular light rail is a light rail loop line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, operated by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation.[7] The line stretches over a length of 22.1 kilometers and has 38 stations. The southern part of this line makes use of the defunct tracks of the Kaohsiung Harbor Railway Line. Construction cost was forecasted to be 16.5 billion New Taiwan dollars.[8]
Phase I consists of the section of the line from Station C1 to Station C14, of which Stations C3 and C14 are transfer stations to the KMRT and, respectively. Construction of Phase I began on 4 June 2013.[9] Stations C1 to C14 were open on a test-basis (free for the public[10]) from August 2015, and commenced formal operations in September 2017.[11] [12] From November 2014 onwards, the CAF Urbos trams used in these tracks were tested in this line parked on multiple occasions.
Phase II construction of the northern section partially began on 12 January 2021[13] after the underground relocation of the Kaohsiung urban railway. The northern part of Phase II was scheduled to be opened in June 2021 along with the rest, but was delayed until 1 January 2024 due to local opposition.[14] [15]
| I | Lizihnei - Hamasen | 4 July 2016 | 8.7 | 14 | |
| II Phase 1 | Hamasen - Gushan District Office Lizihnei - Kaisyuan Park | 12 January 2021 | 4.1 | 9 | |
| II Phase 2 | Gushan District Office - TRA Museum of Fine Arts | 16 December 2021 | 1.8 | 3 | |
| II Phase 3 | TRA Museum of Fine Arts - Heart of Love River | 5 October 2022 | 2.4 | 4 | |
| II Full | Heart of Love River - Kaisyuan Park | 1 January 2024 | 5 | 7 |
| Code | Station Name | Connection | District | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chinese | ||||
| — ↑ Loop line towards Depot ↑ — | |||||
| C1 | Chinese: [[:zh:籬仔內站|籬仔內]] | Cianjhen | |||
| C2 | Chinese: [[:zh:凱旋瑞田站|凱旋瑞田]] | ||||
| C3 | Chinese: [[:zh:前鎮之星站|前鎮之星]] | ||||
| C4 | Chinese: [[:zh:凱旋中華站|凱旋中華]] | ||||
| C5 | Chinese: [[:zh:夢時代站|夢時代]] | ||||
| C6 | Chinese: [[:zh:經貿園區站|經貿園區]] | ||||
| C7 | Chinese: [[:zh:軟體園區站|軟體園區]] | ||||
| C8 | Chinese: [[:zh:高雄展覽館站|高雄展覽館]] | ||||
| C9 | Chinese: [[:zh:旅運中心站|旅運中心]] | (planned) | Lingya | ||
| C10 | Chinese: [[:zh:光榮碼頭站|光榮碼頭]] | ||||
| C11 | Chinese: [[:zh:真愛碼頭站|真愛碼頭]] | Yancheng | |||
| C12 | Chinese: [[:zh:駁二大義站|駁二大義]] | ||||
| C13 | Chinese: [[:zh:駁二蓬萊站|駁二蓬萊]] | Gushan | |||
| C14 | Chinese: [[:zh:哈瑪星站 (高雄輕軌)|哈瑪星]] | ||||
| C15 | (ALIEN Art Centre) | Chinese: [[:zh:壽山公園站|壽山公園]](金馬賓館當代美術館) | |||
| C16 | Chinese: [[:zh:文武聖殿站|文武聖殿]] | ||||
| C17 | Chinese: [[:zh:鼓山區公所站|鼓山區公所]] | ||||
| C18 | Gushan | Chinese: [[:zh:鼓山車站|鼓山]] | |||
| C19 | Chinese: [[:zh:馬卡道站|馬卡道]] | ||||
| C20 | TRA Museum of Fine Arts Station | Chinese: [[:zh:美術館車站|臺鐵美術館]] | |||
| C21A | Chinese: [[:zh:內惟藝術中心站|內惟藝術中心]] | ||||
| C21 | Chinese: [[:zh:美術館站|美術館]] | ||||
| C22 | Chinese: [[:zh:聯合醫院站|聯合醫院]] | ||||
| C23 | Chinese: [[:zh:龍華國小站|龍華國小]] | ||||
| C24 | Chinese: [[:zh:愛河之心站|愛河之心]] | ||||
| C25 | Chinese: [[:zh:新上國小站|新上國小]] | Zuoying | |||
| C26 | Chinese: [[:zh:大順民族站|大順民族]] | Sanmin | |||
| C27 | Chinese: [[:zh:灣仔內站|灣仔內]] | ||||
| C28 | Chinese: [[:zh:高雄高工站|高雄高工]] | (planned) | |||
| C29 | Chinese: [[:zh:樹德家商站|樹德家商]] | ||||
| C30 | Science and Technology Museum | Chinese: [[:zh:科工館站|科工館]] | |||
| C31 | Chinese: [[:zh:聖功醫院站|聖功醫院]] | Lingya | |||
| C32 | Chinese: [[:zh:凱旋公園站|凱旋公園]] | , | |||
| C33 | Chinese: [[:zh:衛生局站|衛生局]] | ||||
| C34 | Chinese: [[:zh:五權國小站|五權國小]] | ||||
| C35 | Chinese: [[:zh:凱旋武昌站|凱旋武昌]] | ||||
| C36 | Chinese: [[:zh:凱旋二聖站|凱旋二聖]] | Cianjhen | |||
| C37 | Chinese: [[:zh:輕軌機廠站|輕軌機廠]] | ||||
| — ↓ Loop line towards ↓ — | |||||
The line's fleet consists of nine CAF Urbos trams that are powered by supercapacitor banks.[16] The tramway cars are 34m (112feet) in length, and are able to transport a total of 250 passengers (seated, and standing).
15 Alstom Citadis 305 tramway cars entered service in November 2020.[17]
Unlike the Kaohsiung Metro Red and Orange Lines, the Kaohsiung Light Rail is charged at a lower rate. As of January 2019, the fare for each light rail is NT$30. There is special rate of NT$10 by using a digital wallet (such as iPass, EasyCard, icash, etc.). Card readers are available at each station and inside of tramway. When paying the fare by the e-ticket (digital wallet), passengers are only charged one of them at each time. When paying by cash, passengers can purchase tickets at the ticket vending machines at each station for the ticket inspector to check.
In 2004, the Kaohsiung City Government and Siemens built a temporary two-station circular light rail line in Central Park, operated by a single trainset, to demonstrate the feasibility of building a light rail system in Kaohsiung City. It was meant to alleviate some residents' concerns that light rail would negatively impact their surroundings by producing excessive noise and hindering normal traffic flow. This Siemens Combino vehicle would later become the D2 Class operated in Melbourne, Australia.
