by Florrie Lin Good news for people who like to travel by MRT in Taipei. The Taipei mass rapid transit system’s new Xinyi Line, which will make it easier for people from around the greater Taipei area to get to Taipei 101, has opened to passengers on Nov 24. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp, which runs the metro system, will offer free rides on the Xinyi Line for one month. There are seven stops along the east-west line, which essentially follows Xinyi Road: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Dongmen, Daan Park (referring to Daan Forest Park), Daan, Xinyi Anhe, Taipei 101/World Trade Center, and Xiangshan (near Elephant Mountain). The new service makes it easier for passengers to get to the commercial area from other parts of town and allows for easier connections in navigating the city’s subway system. Passengers who normally take the Bannan Line (connecting Banqiao and Nangang) to get to Xinyi District, for example, will now be able to transfer to the Xinyi Line at Taipei Main Station and end up with a shorter walk to Taipei 101 and Warner Village. Passengers coming from the northern Beitou and Shilin districts will also now be able to transfer directly to the Wenhu Line, rather than having to make an extra connection at Taipei Main Station. In this regard, students on Taipei Campus must pay more attention to the signs when taking the MRT at Jiantan Station, because now there are two lines that stop at this station, one is to Xindian and the other is to Xinyi.