- OPERATION

Trains run every 9 minutes, every 5 minutes during peak hours, possible minimum headway is 2 minutes..

- FARES (2000/2001)

2-4 Yuan for a single ride depending on distance, no free transfer between Line 1 and Line 2

- All fares subject to change -

China's largest city with more than 15 million inhabitants plans to build 11 metro lines (more than 300 km) and 10 light rail lines (120 km) within the next 25 years.

The Shanghai subway is one of the youngest in the world and might become the most rapidly expanding if the same pace of construction continues. After the first line opened in 1995 as a north-south axis from the Central Station to the southern suburbs, a first section of the second line followed only four years later. In Sept 2000 the city announced to build 10 km of high capacity transit lines per year until 2020. The first two lines were built as a turnkey project by a consortium led by Siemens.

Line 1 started operating on 10 April 1995 between Shanghai Railway Station and Jinjiang Playground (16.1 km, 13 stations). It was extended south to Xin Zhuang in 1996 (5.3 km, 4 stations).

Line 2, an east-west connection, opened on 28 Oct 1999 from Zhong Shan Park to Long Yang Rd in Pu Dong (16.4 km - 12 stations) (regular service since 13 June 2000). Both lines meet in the city centre at People's Square. The extension of Line 2 towards the west to Hongqiao Airport is scheduled to open in 2002. In the east it was originally planned to continue to Pudong Int'l Airport, but in late 2000 China decided to build a 30 km Transrapid link, with magnetic levitation technology designed in Germany, from the Line 2 station Long Yang Road to the airport. Since 26 Dec 2000 a 2.8 km extension of Line 2 was added to the initial line. The new segment, which runs above ground for 2 km, serves the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. Line 2 has now a total length of 19.1 km.

Line 3, the so-called Pearl Line, has been developed out of a former ring railway, mainly elevated, planned to run from Baoshan Steel Complex in the north via Shanghai Railway Station to Caoxi Rd. in the south (36 km, 21 stations). Construction of the first 25 km section with 19 stations (3 at grade) between Caoxi Rd and Jiangwan was completed in May 2000. It opened for trial operation on 26 DEC 2000. Regular service is expected to start in August 2001. Until the fleet of 28 Alstom Megapolis 6-car trains arrives, 10 trains borrowed from the other lines offer a limited service.