SHANGHAI’s city planners have announced their intention to develop another north-south metro line across the rapidly-growing conurbation.
Due to be completed after 2010, Line 15 will connect the Shanghai University campus in Baoshan with the Purple Bamboo Industrial Park in Minhang. The final alignment has not been settled, but the line will definitely serve Chinese Railways’ West and South stations, according to Deputy Chief Engineer Shen Rende from the Urban Planning Administrative Bureau.
Line 15 will interchange with Lines 1 and 3 at Shanghai South station, where the CR terminus was officially opened on July 1. With six platforms and a 23ha retail complex, the new terminus is expected to absorb around one-third of the traffic currently using Shanghai Main station, served by metro Lines 1 and 2.
On July 5 Shanghai Metro Operations Co confirmed its intention to move towards driverless operation for future lines, suggesting that a prototype could be operating within five years. Meanwhile, Shanghai Shentong Holdings Group has ordered a further 12 eight-car Metropolis trainsets from Alstom for €100m to work an extension of Line 2, with options for a further 72 vehicles. Deliveries are scheduled for 2008. n
