CHINA: Five cities have opened metro extensions totalling over 100 route-km, a few weeks ahead of the customary end-of-year glut of urban rail expansion.
Beijing Subway added lines 3 and 12 to its network on December 15, along with a 0·7 km extension of the Changping Line south to interchange with Line 12 at Jimenqiao. Line 12 runs from Sijiqingqiao for 27·5 km east to Dongbabei and provides relief for the north side of the overcrowded Line 10 outer loop line. At Dongbabei it meets the current outer end of new Line 3. This runs from Dongsi Shitiao on inner loop Line 2 for 14·7 km northeast via Chaoyang, providing the first metro connection to the important main line interchange station.
For the moment, Line 3 is sharing the Line 12 depot at Dongbabei, but is projected to be extended 6·4 km east to Caogezhuang Bei where it would have its own depot. The Chinese capital’s 872 km metro network now comprises 28 lines serving 378 stations.
On November 30 Zhengzhou opened a major extension to its Line 6. This extends the 16·7 km, 10-station initial phase opened in September 2022 by 26·4 km, running east then north across the city centre from Changzhuang to a new terminus at Qinghuafuzhong on Line 4. There are a further five interchanges and 12 other intermediate stations.
The same day Shanghai opened a 6·6 km western extension of Line 17 from Oriental Land to Xicen — the first section of metro to open in the city for nearly three years. The line has Tranavi train control developed by CASCO, enabling operation using the GoA3 grade of automation. Most of the city’s metro lines use train control equipment supplied in partnership with international vendors; the SelTrac CBTC designed by Thales is used on five lines and the Alstom-developed Urbalis technology is used on another six.
A further extension south from Xicen is planned, providing a second interchange between the Shanghai and Suzhou metros at Shuixiangketing. This is expected to become a hub interchange for several routes and the southeast terminus of Suzhou Rail Transit’s planned express metro Line 10, formerly suburban Line S5. Work on the 90 km northern section of this line to Jingang began in January 2023. On December 1 SRT opened the cross-city section of Line 7. Suzhou added a ninth metro line on October 10 2024 when the former Line 4 branch running southwest from Hongzhuang to Muli was designated as separate Line 7; this is now extended north by 24·1 km from Changlou with 20 stations, taking the city’s network to over 350 route-km.
On December 3 Xuzhou opened extensions at either end of its Line 3: south to Yinshan, adding 1·6 km and a single station; and northeast to Zhenxingdadao adding 6·6 km and eight stations. The city’s network is now 72·6 route-km, but will grow further with the 22·9 km fully automated Line 6. This is expected to open in September 2025.
