Shanghai Metro News

Here are some piece of Shanghai Metro news.

Folded Bicycles

According to the regulations, folded bicycles (not sure how I can put it. It is a bicycle that you can fold to make it smaller) are allowed on Metro. Some people ride bicycles to Metro Station, fold it, carry it onto the metro cart and unfold it at the destination station and ride to work.

Practically speaking, it is not so easy to carry it in rush hours, but many people do. The problem is, on some very crowded stations, say, from Cao Bao Road to Xujiahui, or Shanxi South Road to People’s Square on Metro Line #1, or from Dong Chang Road station to People’s Square on Metro Line #2, if someone carries a folded bicycle, it may reduce the capacity of the cart and someone may not able to get to that train. I believe I will feel bad or at least a little bit embarrased at that time, although it is accepted by the regulation.

Ticket Discount

I saw a poster recently. It was posted at the end of Sept, I believe. It said that after Oct 1, if you can spent more than 75 RMB, you will be given 10% off discount. This is the first time in the Metro history in Shanghai that gives discount. Previously, the only benifit you get to use Shanghai Transportation Card is, you can still use the card if the money in the card is less than the money required for the trip at your last time swip. However, you still need to pay the -1 or -2 RMB balance at the next time you deposit money.

Ticket Price Increased

Recently, the price of Shanghai Metro increased. Metro is fast, reliable and convinient, but people feel it becomes a more and more like a burnden. Previous, I only need 3 RMB from Long Yang Station to People’s Square, now, it is 5 RMB. From People’s Square to Xujiahui, I pay 4 RMB, which was 3 RMB previously.

Tricks to Save (or Steal) Ticket

Many “smart” people start to think of “solutions”. One method I discovered so far is, some people will find “pairs” with others that exchange tickets to decrease both cost.

Passenger A starts from Long Yang Road Station to Xin Zhuang. He needs to pay 6 RMB. Passenger B starts from Xin Zhuang to Dong Chang Road, he needs to pay 5 RMB. But if Passenger A and B both buy 3 RMB ticket, and they arranged their trip and meet at some station in the middle, say, People’s Square, and exchange their ticket, and they can exit at the gate because it seems the person enters and exits at the same station for the ticket passenger B bought, and seems just several stations in between for the ticket Passenger A bought. Obviously it is not “politically right”. I just see people doing this.

Use the Same Ticket?

The newspaper said this morning that at the end of this year, one ticket can be used on all the metro lines: #1, 2, 3, and 5. Now, only line #1 and #2 can use the same ticket. Passengers need to buy new ticket if there is a transition between #1/#2 to other lines.

5 thoughts on “Shanghai Metro News

  1. I saw a news on CCTV2 this morning, talking about such bicycles in Beijing’s city-train, the same feeling as you.

  2. A couple corrections:

    * The metro discount kicks in after RMB 70.

    * You can already use the same ticket right now on Lines 1, 2, and 3. Line 5 will be linked-in by the end of this year.

    Also the article said that sometimes it will be cheaper to leave the station and buy a new ticket for Line 5 because they did not raise prices like the city did for Lines 1/2/3, instead of directly changing trains. But of course, it’s just a matter of RMB 1, so unless you do it every day it won’t be worth the trouble :)

  3. Now the 4 subway plus one coming soon subway has joint there price,

    You only need buy ticket one time no matter how many line you take.

  4. Hi,

    I am a senior transportation planner with the New York City Transit, doing a research project on Shanghai’s transportation developments.

    Does anyone know anything about Shanghai’s master transport plan which supposedly was done by a French company?

    ymtram@yahoo.com

    Thanks!

  5. Might be a silly question: so only folded bikes are allowed on the Metro? I can’t bring my “normal” road bike on the Metro?

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