Shanghai Metro

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Shanghai Metro

A Line 1 train entering Waihuanlu
Overview
Owner	Shanghai Municipal Government
Locale	Shanghai and Kunshan, Jiangsu
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	18[a]
Number of stations	467[b] (transfer stations counted repeateadly) 371 (international standards: unique stations)
Daily ridership	10.63 million (2019 avg.)[1] 13.29 million (record)[2]
Annual ridership	3.880 billion (2019)[1]
Website	www.shmetro.com
Operation
Began operation	28 May 1993; 28 years ago (1993-05-28)
Operator(s)	Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd. Shanghai Keolis Public Transport Operation & Management Co. Ltd.
Number of vehicles	7,000+ revenue railcars[3]
Technical
System length	743 km (461.7 mi)[4][c]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1.5kV DC overhead line 1.5kV DC third-rail
hideSystem map

Shanghai Metro
Simplified Chinese	上海轨道交通
Traditional Chinese	上海軌道交通
Literal meaning	Shanghai Rail Transit
showTranscriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shànghǎi Guǐdào Jiāotōng Bopomofo ㄕㄤˋㄏㄞˇㄍㄨㄟˇㄉㄠˋㄐㄧㄠ ㄊㄨㄥ Wade–Giles Shang4-hai3 Kui3-tao4 Chiao1-t'ung1 Wu Romanization Zaanhe kuedau jiau thon [zɑ̃˨hɛ˦ kuɛ˧dɔ˥ tɕiɔ˨tʰoŋ˨]
Commonly abbreviated as
Simplified Chinese	上海地铁
Traditional Chinese	上海地鐵
Literal meaning	Shanghai Subway
showTranscriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shànghǎi Dìtiě Bopomofo ㄕㄤˋㄒㄞˇㄉㄧˋㄊㄧㄝˇ Wu Romanization Zånhae dithih

The Shanghai Metro (Chinese: 上海地铁) is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, operating urban and suburban transit services to 14 of its 16 municipal districts^[d] and to Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. Served as a part of Shanghai rail transit, the Shanghai Metro system is the world's biggest metro system by route length, totaling 743 kilometres (462 mi).^[5][c] It is also the second biggest by the number of stations with 381 stations on 18 lines.^[a][b] It ranks second in the world by annual ridership with 3.88 billion rides delivered in 2019.^[1] The daily ridership record was set at 13.29 million on March 8, 2019.^[2] Over 10 million people use the system on an average workday.^[6]

History[]

Opening in 1993 with full-scale construction extending back to 1986, the Shanghai Metro is the third-oldest rapid transit system in mainland China, after the Beijing Subway and the Tianjin Metro. It has seen substantial growth, significantly during the years leading up to the Expo 2010, and is still expanding quickly, with its most recent expansions having opened in January 2021.

1993–2002: Origins[]

A subway was first proposed for Shanghai in 1956. Tests started in 1964, but construction was suspended during the Cultural Revolution the mid-1960s.

The economic and population boom of Shanghai led to a surge in traffic that was beginning to overwhelm the transportation system by the end of the 1980s. The State Council of China approved Master City Plan of Shanghai (1983–2000), the first ever approved by the State Council in the history of Shanghai was approved in 1986. A 40-year phased program was designed that would include 11 metro lines covering over 325km by 2025.^[7] On 14 August 1986, China's State Council approved the Proposal Concerning Construction of Shanghai City Subway Line from Xin Long Hua Station to Shanghai Railway Station.^[8]

Line 1 eventually opened on April 10, 1995 and in the first year it handled an average 600,000 passengers daily.^{[citation needed]} The first phase of Line 2 was inaugurated in June 2000, which in 2010 linked Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport. The 25km Line 3, the Pearl Line, opened for revenue service in 2001. Line 5 opened in 2003. Line 4 joined the network in January 2006 and became a circular line in 2007.

The Master Plan of Shanghai Metro-Region 1999–2020 was approved by the State Council of China on May 11, 2001.^[9] The plan had 17 lines in total, containing four intra-city-region express rail lines, eight urban metro lines, and five urban light-rail lines with a total length of about 780 kilometers. The total length of the planned MRT network in the central city will add up to 488 kilometers. In addition, Shanghai will strengthen the development of the suburban rail transport network so that it can link to and coordinate with state rail lines, metro lines, and light railways. One or two rail transport lines are planned between every new city and the central city.

2003–2010: Rapid expansion for the Expo 2010[]

In 2003 when the length was only 3 lines, 65 kilometers (with a further 5 lines already under construction), Shanghai was named host city for the World Expo 2010, plans were made to extend the length of the Metro to 400 kilometers by the time it opened in 2010.^[10] Thereby it completed the initial 40 year plan 15 years ahead of schedule. During Expo 2010 the metro system consisted of 11 lines, 407km and 277 stations.

2011–2021: Completion of master plan[]

In 2009 Shanghai announced it would have 21 lines operating by 2020 with lines extending further into the suburban areas. At the end of 2021 (expected) most of the lines of the plan were opened (with exemption of line 20, Jiamin line and Chongming line) leading to 19 lines (line 1-18 and Pujiang), 802km, 516 stations.

On 16 October 2013, with the extension of line 11 into Kunshan in Jiangsu province, Shanghai Metro became the first rapid transit system in China to provide cross-provincial service and the second intercity metro after the Guangfo Metro.

2021 onwards: Phase III construction[]

The National Development and Reform Commission has approved the 2018-2023 construction planning of the city’s Metro network. The construction of five new metro lines (and two commuter rail lines) and two extensions to opened lines are expected to take five to six years and is planned to start construction before 2023. After completion, there will be 27 metro and commuter rail lines covering 1,154 kilometers.

With the Shanghai Master Plan 2017-2035 more emphasis was put on other rail transit modes. The plan calls for a comprehensive transportation system that consists of a multimodel rail transit. Intercity lines (intercity railway, municipality railway, and express railway), urban lines (subway and light rail) and local lines (modern tramcar, rubber-tired transit system) in a length of more than 1,000km each.^[11]

By 2035, the public transportation will account for over 50% of all means of transportation and 60% rail transit stations in the inner areas of the main city will have 600m land coverage. According to the NDRC, Shanghai Metro network (including commuter rail) will cover 1,642 kilometers in total by 2030 and more than 2,000 kilometers by 2035.^[12]

Lines[]

In service[]

There are currently 18 lines in operation, with lines and services are denoted numerically as well as by characteristic colors, which are used as a visual aid for better distinction on station signage and on the exterior of trains, in the form of a colored block or belt.

Most tracks in the Shanghai Metro system are served by a single service; thus "Line X" usually refers both to the physical line and its service. The only exception is the segment shared by lines 3 and 4, between Hongqiao Road station and Baoshan Road station, where both services use the same tracks and platforms.

Line	Termini (District)		Commencement	Latest extension	Length	Stations	Ref.
1	Fujin Road (Baoshan)	Xinzhuang (Minhang)	28 May 1993	29 December 2007	36.4 km (22.62 mi)	28	[13]
2	East Xujing (Qingpu)	Pudong International Airport (Pudong)	20 September 1999	8 April 2010	63.8 km (39.64 mi)	30	[14]
3	North Jiangyang Road (Baoshan)	Shanghai South Railway Station (Xuhui)	26 December 2000	18 December 2006	40.3 km (25.04 mi)	29	[15]
4	Loop line		31 December 2005	29 December 2007	33.7 km (20.94 mi)	26	[16]
5	Xinzhuang (Minhang)	Minhang Development Zone (Minhang)	25 November 2003	30 December 2018	32.7 km (20.32 mi)	19	[17]
		Fengxian Xincheng (Fengxian)
6	Gangcheng Road (Pudong)	Oriental Sports Center (Pudong)	29 December 2007	12 April 2011	32.3 km (20.07 mi)	28	[18]
7	Meilan Lake (Baoshan)	Huamu Road (Pudong)	5 December 2009	28 December 2010	44.2 km (27.46 mi)	33	[19]
8	Shiguang Road (Yangpu)	Shendu Highway (Minhang)	29 December 2007	5 July 2009	37.4 km (23.24 mi)	30	[20]
9	Songjiang South Railway Station (Songjiang)	Caolu (Pudong)	29 December 2007	30 December 2017	65.6 km (40.76 mi)	35	[21]
10	Jilong Road (Pudong)	Hongqiao Railway Station (Minhang)	10 April 2010	26 December 2020	45 km (27.96 mi)	37	[22]
		Hangzhong Road (Minhang)
11	North Jiading (Jiading)	Disney Resort (Pudong)	31 December 2009	26 April 2016	82.4 km (51.20 mi)	39	[23]
	Huaqiao (Kunshan, Jiangsu)
12	Qixin Road (Minhang)	Jinhai Road (Pudong)	29 December 2013	19 December 2015	40.4 km (25.10 mi)	32	[24]
13	Zhangjiang Road (Pudong)	Jinyun Road (Jiading)	30 December 2012	30 December 2018	38.8 km (24.11 mi)	31	[25]
15	Gucun Park (Baoshan)	Zizhu Hi-tech Park (Minhang)	23 January 2021	N/A	42.3 km (26.28 mi)	30	[26]
16	Longyang Road (Pudong)	Dishui Lake (Pudong)	29 December 2013	28 December 2014	59 km (36.66 mi)	13	[27]
17	Hongqiao Railway Station (Minhang)	Oriental Land (Qingpu)	30 December 2017	N/A	35.3 km (21.93 mi)	13	[28]
18	Yuqiao (Pudong)	Hangtou (Pudong)	26 December 2020	N/A	14.5 km (9.01 mi)	8	[29]
Pujiang	Shendu Highway (Minhang)	Huizhen Road (Minhang)	31 March 2018	N/A	6.7 km (4.16 mi)	6	[30]
Total					743[c]	467[b]	[31]

Future expansion[]

The Shanghai Metro system is one of the fastest-growing metro systems in the world. Ambitious expansion plans call for 25 lines with over 1,000 km (620 mi) of length by 2025.^[32] By then, every location in the central area of Shanghai will be within 600 m (2,000 ft) of a subway station.^[33] As of 2019, Shanghai has more than 120 km (75 mi) of metro under construction.^[34][35] By the end of 2021, the network will comprise 19 lines (Lines 1–18 and Pujiang Line) spanning 804 kilometres (500 mi).^[36] In 2023 Shanghai Metro will connect with the metro system of Suzhou;^[37] the under construction Suzhou Metro Line S1 will connect Shanghai Metro line 11 with Suzhou Metro Line 3.^[38]

Planned opening date	Line	Name	Terminals		Length	Stations	Status	Ref.
2021	14	N/A	Fengbang	Guiqiao Road	38.5 km (23.92 mi)	31	Pre-opening test	[39]
	18	1st phase remaining section	South Changjiang Road	Yuqiao	21.8 km (13.55 mi)	18
TBA	2	3rd phase western extension	East Xujing		1.7 km (1.06 mi)	1	Under construction	[40]
	13	Western extension	Jinyun Road	Zhuguang Road	9.8 km (6.09 mi)	5
	17	Western extension	Oriental Land		6.6 km (4.10 mi)	1
	18	2nd phase		South Changjiang Road	8.1 km (5.03 mi)	6
	21	1st phase	Dongjing Road		28 km (17.40 mi)	18
	23	1st phase	Shanghai Stadium	Minhang Development Zone	28 km (17.40 mi)	22
	Chongming	1st phase		Jinji Road	22.4 km (13.92 mi)	5
TBA	1	Southern extension	Xinzhuang		1.2 km (0.75 mi)	1	Approved	[41]
	5	Southern extension reserve	Fengxian Xincheng	Pingzhuang Highway	3.1 km (1.93 mi)	1
	19	1st phase			44.5 km (27.65 mi)	32
	20	1st phase			19.8 km (12.30 mi)	16
	Chongming	2nd phase			20.4 km (12.68 mi)	3

Evolution[]

Since 1993, the ridership of the entire network has grown as the new lines or sections come into operation. The following data displays the system length of Shanghai Metro, the number of stations and the annual ridership.

From 2003 in most years new lines came in operation in most years. Between the end of 2007 and 2010 the system length and number of stations saw the largest growth. Ridership increased between 2011 and 2016 with 10% per annum, between 2017 and 2019 with 5%. The reduction in ridership in 2020 is due to Covid-19.^[42]

History of the Shanghai metro system

Year	System length (km)	±%	# stations	±%	Annual Ridership (millions)	Daily Ridership (millions)	±%
1993	4.37		4
1994	4.37	0%	4	0%
1995	15.71	259.5%	13	225.0%
1996	20.11	28.0%	16	23.1%
1997	20.11	0%	16	0%
1998	20.11	0%	16	0%
1999	35.60	77.0%	28	75.0%
2000	62.70	76.1%	48	71.4%
2001	62.70	0%	48	0%
2002	62.70	0%	48	0%
2003	79.25	26.4%	59	22.9%
2004	91.67	15.7%	68	15.3%
2005	118.26	29.0%	90	75.0%	594	1.627
2006	139.89	18.3%	104	15.6%	656	1.797	10.4%
2007	223.38	66.8%	170	63.5%	814	2.230	24.1%
2008	235.06	0.7%	171	0.6%	1,128	3.082	38.2%
2009	323.01	37.4%	230	34.5%	1,318	3.611	17.2%
2010	420.22	30.1%	282	22.6%	1,884	5.162	43.0%
2011	421.78	0.4%	287	1.8%	2,101	5.759	11.6%
2012	436.02	3.4%	296	3.1%	2,276	6.219	8.0%
2013	537.58	23.3%	338	14.2%	2,506	6.866	10.4%
2014	548.80	2.1%	346	2.4%	2,827	7.745	12.8%
2015	583.42	6.3%	373	7.8%	3,068	8.405	8.5%
2016	588.50	0.9%	374	0.3%	3,401	9.292	10.6%
2017	637.32	8.3%	396	5.9%	3,538	9.693	4.3%
2018	676.34	6.1%	422	6.6%	3,710	10.164	4.9%
2019	676.34	0%	422	0%	3,384	10.641	4.7%
2020	701.41	3.7%	437	3.6%	2,835	7.746	-27.2%
2021	802.26	14.4%	516	18.1%
Source: Timeline of Shanghai Metro line opening Data 2005-2019 and Data 2020

Average daily ridership

Year	(in millions)
2005	1.627
2006	1.797(+10.4%)
2007	2.230(+24.1%)
2008	3.082(+38.2%)
2009	3.611(+17.2%)
2010	5.162(+43.0%)
2011	5.759(+11.6%)
2012	6.219(+8.0%)
2013	6.866(+10.4%)
2014	7.745(+12.8%)
2015	8.405(+8.5%)
2016	9.292(+10.6%)
2017	9.693(+4.3%)
2018	10.164(+4.9%)
2019	10.641(+4.7%)
2020	7.746(-27.2%)

Peak passenger numbers over time (thousands)^[e]

	September 25, 2015[43]	December 31, 2015[44]	April 1, 2016[f]	March 3, 2017[45]	March 17, 2017[46]	April 28, 2017	March 9, 2018[g][47]	March 14, 2018[48]	March 8, 2019[g][49]
Total ridership	10,343	10,830	11,299	11,559	11,792	11,867	12,231	12,306	13,294
Transfers	4,340	4,435		4,886				5,240	5,240
Line  1	1,370	1,410	1,420	1,370	1,410	1,430	1,410	1,410	1,507*
Line  2	1,770	1,750	1,770	1,770	1,830	1,850	1,820	1,860	1,903
Line  3	610	600	640	610	630	640	610	610	621
Line  4	940	890	950	940	950	950	950	960	976*
Line  5	160	170	180	170	170	170	160	160	221*
Line  6	440	450*	470	490	500*	490	480	480	520*
Line  7	850	800	890	920*	920	900	950	960*	958
Line  8	1,080	1,080	1,080	1,110	1,120*	1,120	1,160*	1,150	1,221*
Line  9	940	970*	970	1,010*	1,020*	1,020	1,150*	1,150*	1,228*
Line  10	860	860	880	910	940	960	990*	1,000*	1,067*
Line  11	740	800*	860	920*	940*	960	960	950	1,012*
Line  12	220	540*	620	700	710	710	740	740	826*
Line  13	200	340	370	450*	450*	430	490*	500*	710*
Line  14
Line  15
Line  16	160	180	190	210	220	230	230	230	254
Line  17							120	120	175*
Line  18
Pujiang									36*

Services[]

Partial service patterns[]

Partial service patterns exist on lines 1-4, 6-13, 15 and 17. Partial services serve only a (usually busier) sub-segment of the entire physical line.^{[13][14][15][16][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][28]}

Line 11, one of the three branch lines of the metro system, operates a different partial service pattern. Trains travelling to and from the branch line terminate at Huaqiao Station and Sanlin respectively. Hence, a passenger who wants to travel from the terminus of the branch to the eastern terminus of the line, at Disney Resort must change trains.^[23]

Express services[]

Line 16, unlike the rest of the system, is built with passing loops and operates an express and rapid services. The service was postponed on January 30, 2014, due to lack of available trains, but resumed on March 21, 2016.^[50][51][52]

Operating hours and train intervals[]

The operating hours for most Shanghai metro stations starts between 5:00 to 6:00 in the morning and ends between 22:30 to 23:00 CST. The current timetable is available on the Shanghai metro website.

The interval of trains during peak hours differ between 1 minutes and 50 seconds on line 9 and 6 minutes on line 18. Lines in the inner sections have train intervals under three minutes during morning peak hours and under 3 minutes and 45 seconds during evening peak hour. The more suburban outer sections, outside peak hours train intervals are longer.

Headways by Line

Line		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Pujiang
Inner sections	Morning peak	2'30	2'30	5'00	3'10	2'30	2'00	1'55	2'15	1'50	3'00	2'00	2'30	2'30		5'00	3'30	4'00
	Mid-day	4'00	4'00	7'00	7'00	4'30	4'30	5'30	4'00	5'30	3'45	6'00	6'00	6'00		6'00	7'00	10'00
	Evening peak	3'00	3'00	5'00	5'00	3'00	2'30	2'44	2'45	2'30	3'45	3'00	3'45	3'00		5'00	4'00	5'00
	Weekend daytime	4'00	3'40	4'00	6'30	4'00	3'20	5'00	3'40	5'00	3'45	5'00	6'00	5'00		6'00	5'00	7'00
	Other hours	4'00-	5'00-	6'30-	5'00-	7'30-	5'00-	5'00-	5'00-	6'00-	5'00	6'00-	6'00-	6'00-		5'00-	5'00-	5'00-
		12'00	11'00	10'00	12'00	10'00	6'00	8'00	6'00	10'00		11'00	10'00	10'00		12'00	10'00	10'00
	Notes			[h]	[i]		[j]	[k]		[l]	[m]	[n]						Last updated: August 2021.
Outer sections (max interval)	Morning peak	2'30	4'00	10'00		7'30	7'00	4'00	3'30	5'30	10'00	10'00	5'00	5'00		10'00		8'00	6'00	3'20
	Mid-day	6'00	8'00	14'00		9'00	9'00	11'00	8'00	5'30	10'00	12'00	6'00	6'00		12'00		10'00	8'00	6'30
	Evening peak	3'00	6'00	10'00		9'00	7'30	6'55	5'30	5'00	10'00	7'00	7'30	5'00		10'00		10'00	6'00	3'50
	Weekend daytime	4'00	7'20	13'00		8'00	10'00	10'00	7'20	5'00	10'00	10'00	6'00	5'00		12'00		7'00	7'00	6'00
	Other hours	4'00-	5'00-	13'00-		7'30-	10'00-	10'00-	10'00-	6'00-	10'00	11'00-	6'00-	6'00-		5'00-		8'00-	8'00-	9'00
		12'00	11'00	17'00		10'00	12'00	11'00	12'00	10'00		18'00	10'00	10'00		12'00		10'00	10'00

Extended hours on Friday and Saturday[]

On lines in the city center extended hours on Friday and Saturday, extending operating hours by an additional hour. From April 1, 2017, the operating hours of 1, 2, and 7-10 were extended by an hour after the regular last train on each Friday, Saturday and last working days before Chinese Public Holidays.^[53] Since July 1, 2017 this was extended such that lines 1-4 and 5-13. By the end of 2018, all the stations in the city center extended their operating hours after midnight on Fridays and Saturday. Since September 30, 2020 extended operation was resumed on lines 1, 2, 9 and 10.^[54] Since April 30, 2021 extended weekend operation of Line 7 and Line 13 was be resumed.^[55]

Extra trains from Hongqiao Railway Station[]

On Sunday to Thursday, there are two trains on both line 2 and 10 taking passengers from Hongqiao Railway Station and airport after normal operation time and only stop at selected stations.

Infrastructure[]

Rolling stock[]

There are currently over 7,000 revenue railcars in the Shanghai metro system. The train fleet reached 1,000 cars in 2007, 2,000 cars in 2012, and 3,000 cars in 2016, the 4,000th car was delivered on December 17, 2016, the 5,000th car was delivered on July 20, 2018.^[56] The 7,000th car was delivered on December 25, 2020.^[57]

Number of revenue railcars in the Shanghai metro system

Year	2007	2012	2016	December 17, 2016	July 20, 2018	May 28, 2020	December 28, 2020
Number of railcars	1,000	2,000	3,000	4,000	5,000	6,000	7,000
Average daily ridership (million)	2.23	6.219	9.292	9.292	10.164	7.746	7.746
Average no. of daily ridership per railcar	2,230	3,110	3,097	2,323	2,033	1,291	1,107

Most lines currently use 6 car sets, with the exceptions being:

• The Minhang Developing Zone branch of line 5, line 6 and Pujiang Line, which uses 4 car sets. ^[58]
• Most trains on line 8 use 7 car sets.^[58]
• Line 1, line 2 and line 14 (under construction) use 8 car sets.

Most lines the maximum operating speed is 80 km/h (50 mph), with the exceptions being:

• Lines 11 and 17 the maximum operating speed is 100 km/h (62 mph).
• Line 16 the maximum operating speed is 120 km/h (75 mph).

Pujiang line is the only line using cars with rubber tires running on concrete tracks.

All subway cars have air-condition. During summer of 2021 the subway's first and last carriages on Metro lines 3-5, 10-13, and 15-18 will be 2 degrees Celsius warmer than the other carriages, the air-conditioning is adjustable for different carriages on these lines. The measure aims to address the needs of some passengers who find the trains "too cold," especially the elderly and children.^[59]

Platform screen doors[]

Almost all stations, except most of the elevated sections and sections of line 2 from Songhong Road to Longyang Road, have platform screen doors with sliding acrylic glass at the platform edge. The train stops with its doors lined-up with the sliding doors on the platform edge and open when the train doors open, and are closed at other times. These screens also have been retrofitted on existing lines, starting with line 1 whose core stations had doors by the end of 2006. On part of line 2 and most of the elevated sections, the platform has sliding safety doors that reach only halfway up from the ground called Automatic platform gates.^[60] Line 5 is the exception, where they have not yet installed platform screen doors.

Renewable energy[]

Shanghai metro started building solar plants since 2013 and the process has been accelerated since 2019, with plans to build rooftop solar plants with a total electricity generation capacity of 30 to 50 megawatts between 2021 and 2025. In 2021 it had 10 existing rooftop solar plants.^[61]

Stations[]

Security[]

Riders are subject to searches of their persons and belongings at all stations by security inspectors using metal detectors, X-Ray machines. Items banned from public transportation such as "guns, ammunition, knives, explosives, flammable and radioactive materials, and toxic chemicals" are subject to confiscation.^[62]

Stations are equipped with closed-circuit television. Police do for example use it to arrest pickpockets caught on CCTV.^[63]

Smoking is strictly prohibited in the metro premises, Bicycles (including folding bike), pets (include cats, dogs etc.) are not allowed in the station. The use skateboards, roller skates and other equipment is not allowed in station and carriage.^[64]

Since April 1, 2020 there is a national ban on "Uncivilized Behavior" on China's Subways, which also includes conduct rules cracking down on bad subway etiquette, such as stepping on seats, lying down on a bench or floor and playing music or videos out loud. It also bans eating and drinking on subway cars nationwide, with exceptions for infants and people with certain medical conditions.^[65]

Passenger information systems[]

Plasma screens on the platforms show passengers when the next two trains are coming, along with advertisements and public service announcements. The subway cars contain LCD screens showing advertisements and on some lines, the next stop, while above-ground trains have LED screens showing the next stop. The LED screens are being phased in on line 1 and are also included in lines 7 and 9, two underground lines.

There are recorded messages stating the next stop in Mandarin, English, and (on lines 16 an 17 only) Shanghainese,^[66][67] but the messages stating nearby attractions or shops for a given station (a form of paid advertising) are in Mandarin only. The metro operating company is resistant to expanding use of Shanghainese for announcing stops, on the basis that, on most lines, the majority of passengers can understand either Mandarin or English.^[68]

Station signs are in Simplified Chinese and English. The Metro authority is testing a new systematic numbering system for stations on line 10.^[69]

On December 31, 2009 Shanghai launched a website displaying real-time comprehensive passenger flow information, each station and line is displayed as either green (normal operation), yellow (crowded), and red (suspended/not in operation).

Announcements[]

All trains in the Shanghai Metro display destinations in Simplified Chinese and English, and make announcements in Standard Mandarin, English, and (on lines 16 and 17 only) Shanghainese in order to indicate next stations, directions, and partial/full-length service patterns.^[66]

Facilities[]

There is cellular phone network coverage in stations and generally during the ride. In 2020 all stations were provided coverage of the 5G network.^[70] Free WiFi is provided.^[71]

There are toilets for passengers in more than 90% metro stations in Shanghai. Passengers could use these toilets free of charge.^[72]

Shanghai’s subway system is wheelchair accessible, with elevators at all stations. However, elevators can be difficult to locate at the street level.^[73]

Fares and ticket system[]

Like many other metro systems in the world, Shanghai Metro uses a distance-based fare system. The system uses a "one-ticket network", which means that interchanging is possible between all interchange stations, given that the transfer staying within the Shanghai Metro system, without the purchase of another ticket where available, excluding some stations where transferring to another line at said station requires leaving the Fare Zone which mandates a Single-Journey Ticket be used before entering that of another line, requiring the purchase of another Single-Journey Ticket (Shanghai Public Transport Cards are exempt as they are not consumed upon exit). The Shanghai Public Transport Card, which allows access to most public transport in Shanghai under one card, is another form of payment.

All stations are equipped with Shanghai public transport card self-service recharge machines, some of which support card sales and card refund operations. Passengers can also choose to purchase public transport cards to travel. Automatic ticket vending machines are divided into "coins only" and "coins and banknotes are collected", the coin only machine collects 1 yuan and 0.5 yuan, and the coins and banknotes all accept 5, 10, 20, and 50 yuan banknotes and 1 and, 0.5 yuan coins. Vending machines will provide change.

Children under 1.3 meters[]

One or two children not taller than 1.3 meters (inclusive) are exempted from paying a fare in accompany of another passenger. In case of more than two, the passenger should buy tickets. A preschool child, unattended by an adult, is not allowed to take the train alone.^[74]

Periodic pass[]

A pass for unlimited travel within the metro system for either 24 or 72 hours is offered. This pass is not available through vending machines, but has to be purchased at Service Centers at metro stations.^[75]

• A one-day pass priced at 18 yuan. This pass was introduced on 24 April 2010 for the Expo 2010 held in Shanghai.
• A three-day pass priced at 45 yuan. This pass was available since 8 March 2012.

Distance-based fare[]

• The base fare is 3 yuan (RMB) for journeys under 6 km, then 1 yuan for each additional 10 km. As of December 2017, the highest fare is 15 yuan (travel between Oriental Land to Dishui Lake, the farthest distance at present).^[76]

¥3 0 ~ 6 km ¥4 6 ~ 16 km ¥5 16 ~ 26 km ¥6 26 ~ 36 km ¥7 36 ~ 46 km ¥8 46 ~ 56 km ¥9 56 ~ 66 km ¥10 66 ~ 76 km ¥11 76 ~ 86 km ¥12 86 ~ 96 km ¥13 96 ~ 106 km ¥14 106 ~ 116 km

• Shortest route calculated as multiple route available between any entry-exit stations.
• Travel time limit is 4 hour. Additional lowest single journey fare (3 yuan) is required if time limit is exceeded.
• For journeys exclusively from Xinzhuang Station to People's Square Station, the fare is 4 yuan, though the distance between People's Square Station and Xinzhuang Station is about 17.8 km (11.1 mi).

Only passengers with unused tickets at the station on the day can refund tickets at the service center. Refunds can also be processed in the event of a train failure for more than 15 minutes, and the apology letter can be downloaded on the official website, WeChat public account and Metropolis app.

Single-Journey Ticket[]

Single-Journey tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines, and at some stations, at a ticket window. Single-ride tickets are embedded with RFID contactless chips. When entering the system riders tap the ticket against a scanner above the turnstile, and when they exit they insert the ticket into a slot where it is stored and recycled. This ticket does not facilitate transfers at a virtual interchange station. Passengers would have to purchase a new ticket when reentering the fare gate.^[77]

Shanghai Public Transportation Card[]

In addition to a Single-Ride ticket, the fare can be paid using a Shanghai public transport card (Jiaotong Yikatong), which is similar to the Octopus card of Hong Kong's MTR. This RFID-embedded card can be purchased at selected banks, convenience stores and metro stations with a 20-yuan deposit. This card can be loaded at ticket booths, Service Centers at the metro stations as well as many small convenience stores and banks throughout the city. The Shanghai Public Transportation Card can also be used to pay for other forms of transportation, such as taxi or bus. Refunds can be obtained at selected stations.^[o][78]

Public transport cards of other cities and provinces with Union Pay are accepted, but those do not offer discount and at virtual interchange stations transfers will be counted as a new ride.^[79]

Discounts for SPTC holders[]

• Users of the Shanghai public transport card get a 10% discount for the rest of the calendar month after paying 70 yuan in taking metro, The discount is applied only for journeys after the payment; it is not retroactively applied to previous journeys.^[79]
• Transfers at virtual interchange stations the fare will be calculated continuously.^[79]
• Users of the Shanghai public transport card as part of the "Air-conditioned Bus Transfer Discount" get a 1 yuan discount when transferring to the metro within 120 minutes. (The 10% monthly discount may be applied after the transfer discount) This discount also applies for a bus to Metro and bus to bus transfers and can accumulate over multiple transfers. Depending on the time spent at the destination the discount will be applied at the start of the return trip as well, making the cost of a round-trip 11 yuan instead of the 16 yuan that would normally be charged without the card.^[79]

Mobile payments[]

Passengers can also pay their Shanghai Metro fares using a mobile phone app, Daduhui (Metro Metropolis in English) since January 2018. The app requires one to scan a QR code when entering the fare gate at the origin station and again when exiting at the destination station. The fare is then deducted. ^[80]

The system supports Alipay, WeChat Pay and Union Pay, three of the most commonly used mobile payment methods in China.^[81]

Previous fare schemes[]

• Before September 15, 2005 the shortest rides had a fare of 2 yuan. This was increased by 1 yuan in order to relieve the overcrowded metro network (with a daily ridership of 1.3 million people in 2004). Rides longer than 28km had their prices either remained the same or dropped by 1 or 2 yuan. These price changes were meant to encourage more people to take the bus, particularly during rush hour as about 30% of rush-hour passengers and 38% of the total passengers use the subways for short trips. However, the metro fare increase seems to have had little effect. In November 2005 a discount scheme of 10% after 70 yuan was introduced to benefit long distance passengers.^[82] Since 2005, despite the rise in income and living standards, the price has remained the same.
• During the Expo 2010 in Shanghai riding on the expo line (currently line line 13) was free. A valid Expo ticket was needed to ride the line.^[83]
• Until December 26, 2020 there was for journeys exclusively on the 1st phase of line 5 (Xinzhuang – Minhang Development Zone) a reduced fare is 2 yuan for journeys under 6 km and all other journeys on the line were 3 yuan (though the total length of this section is a bit longer than 16 km). This was not applied once passengers interchange to other lines, e.g. fare for passengers from Xinzhuang to Chunshen Road was 2 Yuan, while fare for passengers from Waihuanlu to Chunshen Road was 3 Yuan.

• 

  Line 1 ticket used in 1995-1997.

• 

  Line 1 ticket used in 1997-1999.

• 

  Line 3 ticket used before 2003.

• 

  Line 5 ticket used before 2005.

Fare evasion[]

The official reported daily fare evasion rate accounts for about 0.16% of the total passenger flow.^[84] In the Shanghai Metro fare evasion will result in a fine of 6 times the fare.^[85]

Shanghai Metro have been cooperating with police to crack down on subway fare evasion. In 2012, the Shanghai Metro has reported 202,457 counts fare evasion, and an additional 472,898 yuan of adjusted fare was collected.^[86] Since June 3, 2013, the subway operator announced that all evaders will be recorded in the personal credit information system, which may lead to obstacles in loan applications and job hunting in the future.^[87] However, in actual implementation, the subway law enforcement officers only took the above measures for those who refused to make up the fare; and in some stations where fare evasion often occurred, the ticket gates were changed from the original three-bar type to gate type gates.^[88][89]

Subway culture[]

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Logo[]

The Shanghai Metro logo is a circular pattern composed of the first letters "S" and "M" of the English "Shanghai Metro", which means that the subway runs around the city and extends in all directions. The design reflects the rapid and convenient subway transportation and the speed of subway development. The logo is red, the font is black, and the background color is white:^[90]

• Red symbolizes the young, vigorous and prosperous Shanghai subway business;
• Black symbolizes the firm belief and pursuit of the subway enterprise to shoulder historical responsibilities and perseverance;
• White symbolizes the brilliant vision of the subway employees' wisdom, talent and fighting spirit.

Mascot[]

In the run-up to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai the subway mascot named Changchang was unveiled.^[91] The mascot is a dynamic boy with red, white and blue as the main colors. Changchang means "happiness, smoothness, and imagination", which not only reflects the happiness that Shanghai subway brings to the city and life, but also reflects the dense network and unimpeded development of the subway throughout the city. It symbolizes its infinite possibilities to meet the diversified future.^[92][93]

• Its helmet symbolizes technology and speed, and the subway logo on the helmet reflects the identity of the subway mascot;
• The mask is based on the subway cab as the prototype, which represents the concept of operation, and also has the meaning of "leading";
• The smiling eyes reflect the kindness and enthusiasm of Shanghai Metro, and it implies smiling service and warm transportation;
• The "smooth" raised arms and the outstretched hands symbolize that the subway, as an important means of transportation in Shanghai, welcomes passengers at home and abroad with cordial service;
• The feet represent the safety and comfort of the Shanghai subway;
• The wheels on the feet symbolize technology and speed.

Museum[]

• A Shanghai Metro Museum is located near Ziteng Road station on branchline 10 at 1779 Wuzhong Road, Minhang District.
• A Shanghai Railway Museum is located around 800m from Baoshan Road station on line 3/4 at 200 Tianmu East Road, Jing'an district.
• A Shanghai maglev museum is located in Shanghai Maglev Train station Longyang Road.

Controversies and incidents[]

Type C cars[]

In 1999, Shanghai Electric and Alstom Metropolis signed an agreement to invest 28 million US dollars to establish Shanghai Alstom Transportation Equipment Co., Ltd., and introduce a rail transit train production line in Minhang, which could assemble 300 trains annually. At that time, the municipal government stipulated that Shanghai would purchase 300 C-cars produced by the new company on lines 5, 6, and 8 of the future rail transit construction. The two parties reached an agreement on the purchase of 300 cars at that time. For this reason, the Transportation Research Institute had to "reduce" the predicted passenger flow to accommodate the C-type railcars, allowing for a reduction of the station's civil construction scope for the smaller trains. In the construction of lines 5, 6, and 8, the railcars were not supplied by the completion of the tender, but by a signed agreement for the railcars after "internal consultation and coordination" between Shentong Group and Shanghai Alstom, a violation of Articles 3 and 4 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Tendering and Bidding.

The person in charge of the passenger flow forecasting project of line 8 confirmed that the passenger flow forecast report of line 8 was not completed until 2005 after continuous revision. At that time, it was predicted that the forecast passenger flow of line 8 would be about 500,000 passengers per day during the three years from 2007 to 2010. The operator used as initial forecast passenger flow of only 200,000 passengers per day. line 8 was extremely congested upon opening, even leading to physical conflicts between passengers. The estimated passenger flow of line 6 was more than 105,000. However, the highest passenger flow in the first few days of opening reached 150,000.^[94]

Train accidents[]

• December 22, 2009—at about 5:50 am, an electrical fault in the tunnel between South Shaanxi Road station and People's Square station caused a few trains to stall. While the track was under repair, a low-speed collision occurred between two trains on line 1, trapping scores of passengers underground for up to two hours and affecting millions of early commuters. Nobody was injured, but the front of the train was badly damaged. Service resumed at around 12:15 pm.^[95][96] Another accident occurred in the evening, and the Hengshan Road - Shanghai Railway Station section was affected and suspended again.^[97] A fire broke out at South Shaanxi Road station at 20:40, and the station and Changshu Road station were affected and closed until around 21:30.
• July 27, 2011, in the evening after a train of line 10 was sent from Longxi Road station, it was supposed to be sent to Hangzhong Road station (branch line), but it was sent to Hongqiao Railway Station by mistake, and then stopped at the Shanghai Zoo station for passengers going to Hangzhong Road station to get off and turn back. The subway claimed that the incident was caused by "signal debugging failure".^[98]
• September 27, 2011—at 2:51 pm, two trains on line 10 collided between Yuyuan Garden station and Laoximen station, injuring 284–300 people. Initial investigations found that train operators violated regulations while operating the trains manually after a loss of power on the line caused its signal system to fail. No deaths were reported.^[99]

• March 12, 2013 on 16:12 some netizens said that on line 5 a train in the Minhang Development Zone station exhumation due to squeeze fork leads to the second carriage derailed with no casualties. This caused the line 5 to run 48 minutes behind schedule. During the delay period, the route was changed to Jinping Road-Xinzhuang, and the Jinping Road-Minhang Development Zone section was served by the Jiangchuan No. 1 shuttle bus. The subway said the accident was caused by "signal equipment failure."^[100]

Platform screen door accidents[]

On 5 July 2010 at the Zhongshan Park station a woman died after trying to crowd into a subway train as the doors were closing. With her wrist trapped in the train doors, she was dragged between the train and the platform screen doors when the train started moving.^[101]

On April 26, 2021 at Longyang Road station on line 2 a man committed suicide by climbing over the closed automatic platform gate and jumping on the tracks.^[102]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shanghai Metro.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Shanghai.

• Official website
• Shanghai Metro Club
• Shanghai Subway Information on UrbanRail
• Shanghai Metro Map – real distances