TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Even though 1.9 million commuters use the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit each day, at least three lines are failing to turn a profit, reports said Wednesday.

However, since the lines are linked, Taipei City Government cautioned against judging the transit system purely on profit and loss figures per line, the Liberty Times reported. The city’s oldest line, the Wenhu or Brown Line, posted a loss of NT$1.6 billion (US$54.52 million) for last year. The medium-capacity line recorded 197,000 passengers per day, the lowest number for the period January-May 2025.

Other loss-making services last year included the Zhonghe-Xinlu Line or Orange Line, losing NT$1.24 billion, and the Songshan-Xindian Line or Green Line, posting a loss of NT$358 million. The Orange Line counted 359,000 passengers per day in January-May, the Green Line 356,000.

In contrast, the most profitable line was the Blue Line between Banqiao and Nangang, earning a surplus of NT$916 million in 2024, and moving 614,000 passengers per day in January-May. The Tamsui-Xinyi Line or Red Line came second with a surplus of NT$496 million and 543,000 passengers per day.

The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation said it was difficult to make a fair comparison, as the lines crossed different types of areas, which would influence the number of passengers and journeys. Inflation, higher wages, and higher electricity rates all had an impact on the profitability of the system, the company said.