The Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China’s largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway (地铁) and light railway (轻轨) lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a subway. Since then, the Shanghai Metro has become one of the newest and fastest-growing rapid transit systems in the world. Today, there are twelve metro lines (excluding the Shanghai Maglev Train), 268 stations and over 420 km of tracks in operation, making it the longest network in the world.Daily ridership averaged 3.56 million in 2009 and set a record of 6.013 million on May 21, 2010.
In the six months leading up to the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1, 2010, the Shanghai Metro has undergone major expansion:
- Line 2, with separate sections opening on February 24, March 16, and April 8, 2010, is now over 63 km in total length and connects both of the city’s airports — Hongqiao and Pudong.
- Line 7 opened on December 5, 2009
- Line 9′s Yishan Road to Century Avenue section opened on Dec. 31, 2009, followed by the extension to Middle Yanggao Road on April 7, 2010.
- Line 10 opened on April 10, 2010.
- Line 11 opened on December 31, 2009 and the Anting Branch followed on March 29, 2010.
- Line 13 opened on April 20, 2010.
The system is still growing, more new lines and extensions are under construction, and plans through 2020 project a system comprising 22 lines and 877 km of length.
The fast-growing Shanghai Metro network has 12 lines with another 7 under construction (and expansions to existing lines), with nearly all lines operating underground (Line 3 operates above ground). The Metro is fast, cheap, air conditioned and fairly user-friendly with most signs and station arrival announcements in English, but the trains can get packed during rush hour. Fares range from ¥3-9 depending on distance. Automatic ticket vending machines take ¥1 or ¥0.5 coins and notes and have services in English. Most stations on lines 1-3 will also have staff selling tickets, but on the newly-completed lines 6, 8, and 9 ticket purchasing is all done by machine (in both Chinese and English) with staff there only to assist in adding credit to cards or if something goes wrong. You can now transfer between lines freely with a single ticket (except at Shanghai Railway Station, Hongkou Football Stadium, and Yishan Lu where a subway pass/Shanghai public transportation card is required for transfer). Metro rides can be paid for using use Shanghai’s public transportation card (non-contact). Be careful; certain stations exist on two different lines with the same name but are located in different places (Yishan Lu- Line 3/9 and line 4 are separate stations- transfer between these stations is only possible with a subway pass; Pudian Lu- line 4 and line 6; go to either Century Ave or Lancun Lu to transfer between these lines; Hongkou Football Stadium, Line 3 and 8- transfer is only possible with a Metro pass).
If there are seats available but more passengers boarding than seats, be prepared to see a mad dash (literally) as passengers wrestle for the available seats. This is the norm so move quickly if you want a seat. Be mindful of pickpockets who may use this rush to their advantage.
Lines and Stations
Lines
| Line | Terminals | Opened | Newest Extension |
Length (km) |
Stations | Interchange | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fujin Road | Xinzhuang | 1995 | 2007 | 36.4 | 28 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| 2 | Xujing East | Pudong International Airport | 1999 | 2010 | 63.8 | 29 | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Maglev |
| 3 | North Jiangyang Road | Shanghai South Railway Station | 2000 | 2006 | 40.3 | 29 | 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
| 4 | Loop line beginning at Yishan Road | 2005 | 2007 | 33.7 | 26 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | |
| 5 | Xinzhuang | Minhang Development Zone | 2003 | - | 17.2 | 11 | 1 |
| 6 | Gangcheng Road | South Lingyan Road | 2007 | - | 31.1 | 27 | 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 |
| 7 | Shanghai University | Huamu Road | 2009 | - | 34.4 | 27 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, Maglev |
| 8 | Shiguang Road | Aerospace Museum | 2007 | 2009 | 37.4 | 28 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 |
| 9 | Songjiang Xincheng | Middle Yanggao Road | 2007 | 2010 | 45.2 | 23 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13 |
| 10 | New Jiangwan Town | Hangzhong Road | 2010 | - | 29.6 | 27 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 |
| 11 | Jiading North/Anting | Jiangsu Road | 2009 | 2010 | 45.8 | 19 | 2, 3, 4 |
| 13 | Madang Road | Shibo Avenue | 2010 | - | 4.0 | 3 | 9 |
| Maglev | Longyang Road | Pudong International Airport | 2002 | - | 33.0 | 2 | 2, 7 |
| Total: | 428.7 | 268 | |||||
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