Riding the first train, which set off at 9:00 a.m. from the Nangang Exhibition Center Station, Hu was accompanied by some employees of the city's Department of Rapid Transit Systems and their family members, whom he invited to share the historic moment with him.

Before boarding the train, Hau expressed his gratitude to city employees for their contribution to the construction of the 14.8-km line, as well as to the employees' family members for their support.

Touting the new service's role in the capital city's mass transport system, Hau said the Neihu Line completes Taipei City's metro network by extending it to all 12 of the city's districts.

"Because of the Neihu Line, Taipei residents' lives will become more diverse and convenient," Hau said, noting that it will now take only 12 minutes to travel from the Taipei Main Station to Songshan Airport.

The first train in service arrived at the Taipei Zoo Station, the last stop of the Muzha Line to which the new line is joined, 50 minutes after setting off.

The ride was smooth except for delays of a few minutes at the Huzhou and Donghu stations due to false alarms that prevented the normal opening and closing of the train's doors.

According to the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp., trains on the Neihu Line, built as a medium-capacity transport system, are unmanned, and their automatic driving systems stop the cars immediately when they detect anything unusual.

It has taken the city six years to complete the line. Construction began in May 2002 when President Ma Ying-jeou was mayor of the city and was completed in late 2008.

The new line adds 10 new stations to the Muzha Line, connecting Taipei Songshan Airport and the Nangang Exhibition Center.

Crowds of excited passengers packed most stations on the new line in the morning for the maiden ride.

For three days starting from yesterday, those taking the line using the Easy Card will receive a 50 percent discount on the train fare.