Rigel Line
| Status | Operational |
|---|---|
| Owner | Rigel Corporation |
| Locale | Joban |
| Termini | Central South Draco |
| Stations | 9 |
| Type | Rapid Transit |
|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Rigel Railway |
| Depot(s) | Airport |
| Rolling stock | Adtranz-CAF Rotem EMU |
| Opened | May 3, 2006 |
|---|
| Line Length | 5.7km (3.5mi) |
|---|---|
| Track gauge | 1,435mm |
| Electrification | 1.5 kV DC |
| Operating speed | 55km/h (Average) |
The Rigel Line (Chinese: 里格爾綫) is a rapid transit operated by Rigel Railway.
The route has a total of 9 Stations, split into 3 phases.
History
Planning
In Railway Development Strategy report 2004, a new line was settled and was split into 2 phases.
Phase One
| Station Name | Station Code | Connections | Opening Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 負荷 Fuka | FUK | Joestu Line, Fuka Lightrail, Joban Light Rail, | Jan 3, 1960 (Previous Sections)
March 3, 2006 (Rigel Sections) |
| 卡理特 Crater | CRA | March 3, 2006 | |
| 達科 Draco | DRA | Southern Line | March 3, 2006 |
Phase Two
| Station Name | Station Code | Connections | Opening Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 尤利西斯 Ulysses | ULY | Fuka Lightrail | May 10, 2008 |
| 奧德修斯 Odysseus | ODY | Azure Line | December 17, 2008 |
| 奧拉加 Auriga | AUR | May 10, 2008 | |
| 立達勞斯 Eridanus | ERI | May 10, 2008 | |
| 福斯特薩 Fustersa | FUS | Joestu Line, Airport Express | May 10, 2008 |
The phase 2 section is intended to compete with KCR Joestu Line City Section, running from Fuka to Fustersa.
In April 2004, 10 sets of 4-Car trains are ordered by Rigel Corp and will be constructed by CAF.
2005
In February 2005, the tunnel and station constructions for Phase 1 began, consisting of 3 stations with a total of 1534m long.
During May 2005, 10 sets of trains are delivered to Rigel Corp.
By August 2005, all tunnel and station constructions has completed, and began the installation of electricity, air conditioning and signaling system.
2006
In January to April 2006, various tests has been performed to ensure stability and reliability.
In May 2006, the Phase 1 section of Rigel Line is opened for public.
2009 Airport Railway Proposal
WIP
2011 Train underframe cracking
In April 2011, 2 CAF Train experienced a loss of traction power after departing from Auriga Station and Odysseus Station respectively.
Following the examination of the train, cracks were discovered on parts of the underframe component on 5 other trains.
In June 2011, 12 sets of 5-car K-Train manufactured by Rotem is ordered and delivered by 2013.
The affected CAF Train is taken out of service and retired shortly after.
As of 2022, there are 5 CAF Trains remaining on the line and 21 sets of K-Train. The remaining CAF Trains will be slowly taken out of service and eventually replaced by K-Trains and the new S-Trains.
2013 6-Cars expansion
6-Cars Platform were reserved on all stations since the opening of the Rigel Line.
As passenger demands rise, the first 6-Cars trains is put on service in August 2013.
Since then, trains are slowly transformed from 5-Cars to 6-Cars configuration, until all trains are transformed to 6-Cars in 2016.
2022 RDS expansion
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In Railway Development Strategy report 2022, under the new airport terminal plan, route alignment on the Rigel Line will be adjusted, which means Rigel Line will get another expansion (i.e. Phase 3) after 14 years. Under the new proposal, Rigel Line will stop at Central South and Racecourse, and terminate at the Airport (Terminal 1).
Starting from March 2022, Rigel Line is fully suspended due to replacing the current signalling system and performing various refurbishment works on current stations.
Due to various technical difficulties in the construction of the new Airport Terminal 1, the plan has been indefinitely postponed and Rigel Line will only extend to Central South instead.
In June 2023, the Rigel Line had been resumed and extended to Central South only as the construction of the racecourse has been postponed by the property developer.
Closure of Eridanus station
While performing refurbishment works on current stations in late 2022, it has been determined that Eridanus station is not cost-effective to be refurbished due to its complex building structure and severe water seepage issue. Rigel Corp. has decided to migrate its stop to the nearby Rigel-owned Lightstone station instead. A new lobby, passageway and platform has been built and new side tracks has been constructed to connect the trains from the current route. The migration finished in early 2023 and opened to the public following the resumed operation of Rigel Line.
Phase Three
| Station Name | Station Code | Connections | Opening Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中環南 Central South | CES | Joestu Line | June 19, 2023 |
| Constructions of the racecourse
has been postponed indefinitely. | |||
|
Constructions of the Airport Terminal 1 has been postponed indefinitely. |
Route Info
| Station Name | Station Code | Connections | Opening Date | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 達科 Draco | DRA | Southern Line | March 3, 2006 | |
| 卡理特 Crater | CRA | Akasaka Station | March 3, 2006 | |
| 負荷 Fuka | FUK | Joestu Line | March 3, 2006 | |
| 尤利西斯 Ulysses | ULY | Fuka Lightrail | May 10, 2008 | |
| 奧德修斯 Odysseus | ODY | Azure Line | December 17, 2008 | |
| 奧拉加 Auriga | AUR | May 10, 2008 | ||
| April 27, 2023 | ||||
| 光石 Lightstone | LIS | Tohoku Shinkansen | June 19, 2023 | |
| 福斯特薩 Fustersa | FUS | Joestu Line, Airport Express | May 10, 2008 | |
| 中環南 Central South | CES | Joestu Line | June 19, 2023 | |
| Postponed | ||||
|
Postponed |