Shanghai Metro is Not 24 Hours

My readers, please be noted that Shanghai Metro is not 24 hour in service. I had a miserable night today.

I took Metro Line #1 from Xujiahui to Metro Line #4 station at Shanghai Stadium, only to find out Metro Line #4 is already closed. The last train leaves the platform at 22:16 (inner circle) and 23:14 (outer circle).

Do pay attention to it during your next visit.

Update Their Notices March 8, 2009

Now, at the direction board inside the metro stations, they have clear marks to remind people to pay attention to the end of service time of each metro lines.

Shanghai Metro Century Avenue Station

One and half year ago, I posted Century Ave Station Opens on Oct 28. In that post, I described how the future of the Century Avenue Station will look like when it is fully completed. Below is the diagram I used:

 

The Line #6 goes on the top at B1 level. Line #2, and Line #4 go in the B2 level, cross the Line #6. Line #9 (partly opened on December 29, 2007) will run deeper on level B3. After one and half years, the station is finally ready, and I went there to send the first hand report to my readers.

The Station Diagram

Below is a more professional diagram of Metro Line #6, #2, and #4.

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The Relationship of the Lines

Below is the Line #6.

The train is running on the left, and on the right are three big hallway leading to 3 different lines. The photo on the left shows the glass gates, and on the right shows the hallways. On the right photo, you can only see one, but there are two other in the distance.

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This is how the hallway looks like looking from the glass doors.

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The two hallways leads to two different lines. You may notice that the ceiling of the lines are painted the same color as the identification color of the corresponding lines. I love this design very much. The best design is the design that doesn’t require directions or signs.

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Above: the ceiling of the entrance.
Below: the direction to the transition lines.

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It is pretty clear, isn’t it?

Future Expansion

Just like the other tunnels, the third one leading to Metro Line #9 will open when the Line #9 is ready. Now it is closed by some big rolling gates.

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Interested what’s behind the gate? Here you are:

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Transition from Line #2, #4 to #6?

Here is how it looks like for passengers who want to transit from #2, #4 to #6.

Below is the photo taken from the end of the elevator. On this photo, you can see the platforms of both Line #2 and Line #6. The top rail is for #6, and the below rail is for #2.

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Getting up to B1 using the elevator, and you are only about 10 steps away from the line #6. Pretty efficient.DSC02257

When there are many people, the transition looks like this:

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Two Sides of the Rail

Metro Line #6 Century Avenue Station is maybe the only underground Metro Station that have platforms for the two direction arranged on different side of the rail. All the other underground stations put the platform in the middle and two railways on the opposite sides.

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This brings some challenge for passengers – if they arrived at the wrong side, they have to get back to the platform of either line #2, or line #4, and the get to the Line #6 using the elevators and stairs on the other side.

Model of the Station

In People’s Square Station, I found out a model of the Century Avenue Station.

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Conclusion

In terms of convenience of transition and clarify of the design, this is the best designed stations in Shanghai. Compared to the "short transition path" and the "long transition path", this is a very big improvement. This station will also be the largest transition station (4 lines) in near future.

Welcome to this brand new station!

Shanghai Metro Line #4, #6, #8, #9 Opens

Dec 29 is a big day for Shanghai Metro. 58 New Metro Stations were put into operation on the same day. Yes. It is not a typo. It IS 58 stations. This afternoon, I prepared my camera and coat and wanted to take photos of the new Metro Stations and metro trains, but it was really too cold and windy today. So I decided to turn to flickr to find some photos, and then do a report with these photos.

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Photo by a_laubner

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Photo by a_laubner

The new Metro exit of Line #8

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Photo by a_laubner

This is the new complete map of the Metro System in Shanghai:

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Photo by YGGG

Here is a post about the opening of Line 8 near his/her home.

People’s Square Station

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

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Credit: Keke

Expecting my Metro Trip

I am expecting my Metro Trip in the next few days. I will take more pictures of the Transition Hall of People’s Square Station, the new Line 6, and the Line 4. I prefer to use my own photos in my blog, and I try to avoid to write about something without being there myself. Shanghai Metro is an exception since it is so important to be missed. I will take more photos next time I take a ride.

Update of Metro Line #4

My pilot friend George sent me a photo and asked me where it is. It is the map of Shanghai Metro Line #4 Puhuitang Base. I finally located the place on Google Earth, and I believe it is exactly what is on the map.

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This facility is the parking place for the trains. By design, it has the capacity to hold 67 trains (402 carts) – pretty big, isn’t it?

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It is very near where I lived before.

New Lines

By the end of this month, four new Metro Lines will open to public by the end of this month. They are

  • Metro Line #8
  • Metro Line #9
  • Metro Line #1 North Extension Phase II
  • Metro Line #4

39 new Metro Stations will be put into operation at the same time. This is really amazing.

Shanghai Metro Line #4

Shanghai Metro #4 has started operation for quite some time, but I still didn’t get a chance to use this line yet. Here is the information about this new Metro Line.

Overview of Metro Line #4

Metro Line #4 is the first circle line. It goes around the city outside the Elevated Highway Inner Ring, and is the only circle Metro Line in Shanghai.

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Illustration of Metro Line #4

By Metro Line #4, people can transfer to many metro lines in Shanghai.

The Circle is not Closed Yet

The circle is not really completed. Due to the big accident of the tunnel across the Huangpu River near the Nanpu bridge, the south part of the circle is still under repair. Train can only goes from the upper circles back and forth. The grey colored line in the diagram shows the uncompleted part.

Stations

The ring currectly starts from the Damuqiao Rd Station (Big Wooden Bridge) and goes clockwise to Lancun Rd Station (Blue Village). From Hongqiao Road Station, the line #3 will merge into Line #3 to use the same rail (the west side of the circle). Line #4 will departs from Line #3 after Baoshan Rd station, and goes directly to Lancun Road Station in Pudong.

Here is the diagram.

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Image in courtesy of Shanghai Metro. Click on image to view bigger map

I saw the Pudiang Road Station, Lancun Road Station, and the Damuqiao Road Station before. Very nice from outside. It is said train carts on Line #4 is even better than previously operately lines. I hope to take a ride sometimes and post some pictures.

Time Table

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Metro Line #4 Opens

Metro Line #4 in Shanghai (partly) opened to public on Dec 31 – the last day in 2005.

The new #4 is a circle line. Due to the huge accident of the tunnel near the Nanpu Bridge (water flooded into the construction site of the tunnel), the part from Lancun Road (in Pudong) and the Damuqiao Road (in Puxi near Xujiahui) didn’t open. I have no idea about when the tunnel will be repaired.

To me, there is not too much impact for me. It is about 5 minute drive to the latest station in Pudong, while it goes northward, and westword, and southward – just a circle. It is not go to the People’s Square (almost all the 22 stations are of equal distance to People’s Square) and it does not pass Xujiahui. People’s Square, Xujiahui and my home are the three most visited places for me in Shanghai.

Now the purple line on this Shanghai Metro Map is ready, and more is to come.

It is good.

P.S. An ti’s blog was blocked by MSN Spaces days after his post to protest about the overtaken of Xinjingbao (New Beijing News) by Guangming group. Sign.. Take care, buddy!