Among all the transition in the current Shanghai Metro System, I love the platform design of South Xizang Rd. Station of Line #4 and Line #8 most. That is the easiest transition and shortest among all the current transition plans. I am a Metro Fans, and am always attracted by construction site. I got the change the take some photos of the design of the station.

Location of South Xizang Rd. Station

According to this map, it is at the intersection of line #4 and the line #8 (at the south side of the circle line #4). Sorry that the Automatic Vendor Machine don’t have an English map.

So this interaction is pretty simple:

Line #4 – going west and east.

Line #8 – going north and south

So the two lines forms a perfect 90 degree cross.

Signs

The transition center used many stickers on the ground, like this one to point people to the right direction.

Entrance – The Perfect Cross at the Top Level

The station is like a big +. At the center of the station, you will see the sign in the middle of the pictures below: two directions pointing to Line #4, and the other two point to Line #8. At the border of four side of the octagon is an entrance to the Metro Lines. The four pictures around the center diagram shows the entrances.

The picture on the top left and top right corner show the entrance and exit gates. These gates are the other four borders of the octagon. This make is pretty clear about which direction people need to go.

Since the Metro Line #4 runs below the line #8, it is much deeper, and requires such a long elevator to transport people there:

 

The elevator to the Line #8 is much shorter – half of the length.

Transition – the Lower Perfect Cross

I just talked about entering the station, and choose the right direction (out of the four directions). Here is the experience for transition passengers from Line 8 or Line 4.

This is the view from Metro Line #8. This entrance is at the middle of the platform. If you want to get some idea about where I was to take this picture: the train runs on the left hand or the right hand of where I stayed. I am looking downstairs.

 

At the end of the stairs, they also have this familiar signs.

So the experience for people transition from Line 8 to Line 4 is:

• Leave the train.
• Go downstairs to reach this sign.
• Turn left or right and continue to walk downstairs
• You will find you are in the middle of the platform for line #4

Transition from Line 4 to Line 8 is exactly the same way:

• Leave the train
• Go up stairs to reach the sign
• Turn left or right and continue to walk upstairs
• You will get to platform of Line #8

This is among the shortest transition distance I have find out in the Metro System so far.

Improvement Needed

Since the walking stairs in the middle, like an island, and all the elevators goes to the farther side of the platform, they have to put on the signs on the poles like below to tell people which way to go. These two signs are at the two side of the pole, so actually they are pointing to the two direction directions.

One says:

To take elevator to exit the station, this way

The other side

To transit to Line #4, this way.

 

I did see some confusing passengers who  want to exit used the middle walking island to get to the other platform and get very confused. There are also passengers w

ho use the elevator to get to the top of the entrance hall and get down – waste of time.

Good luck with your transition at South Xizang Rd. Station.

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