30/31: Shanghai Metro
As one of the biggest cities in the world, Shanghai has also one of the biggest and most complete public transportation system and the metro is one of the main parts of it.
Shanghai metro is the longest one in the world by length with 588 kilometers and the second one by number of stations just after the NYC metro system with 364 stations spread through 14 lines. It has an average of 9.29 million daily users and it connects 13 of the 19 districts of the city and it has an annual ridership of 3.401 billion people.
A single trip can cost you from ¥3 to ¥10 depending on the distance of the travel (0.44 to 1.5 USD), but the normal trips would be covered paying ¥3 or ¥4.
The metro started its operations in 1993 with just one line. By 1999 the second line was constructed and a year after that the third line was completed. The system has now 14 lines distributed all over Shanghai. Line 4 is one of the most peculiars because is the loop line.
The metro system is available in Chinese and English, all stations are announced in both languages and the ticket vending machines have an option to switch between languages. Some of the personal who works at the stations can speak English, but not all of them and it’s more common in touristic areas.
Even when Shanghai metro is the second one by daily passengers the system has a short schedule if compared to other big metro systems. The services start something around 6 am and end before 11 pm, depending on the line. This might be weird if we compare it to other big subways in the world, like the NYC Subway system which is 24 hours in some of its lines.
Most of the lines use trains with six wagons, except for lines 5 and 6 which use smaller cars, and line 1 and 2 that use two extra wagons. While the trains don’t have too much space to seat, they are really practical and comfortable in normal hours, but in rush hour the space can be a little tight.
Also all the stations have platform screen doors, which is an extra layer between the people waiting for the train and the train itself, so it’s impossible to access the track of the trains. At this moment all stations, even in old lines, have this screen doors, except in line 2 where other kind of doors where used.
The metro is also connected to the Maglev Train, which connects the normal system with Shanghai Pudong International Airport, this magnetic levitation train reaches a speed of 350 km/h making it the fastest commercial electric train in the world.
While using the metro system could be confusing having 14 lines and more than 300 stations, it’s easy to learn how to move through the city. At least the downtown and closer areas are really well connected thanks to the metro and makes moving around Shanghai a lot easier. Rush hours are the worst part of it, when sometimes you are not even able to get out of the train once you reach your destination because of the people.
You can get a Shanghai Public Transportation Card which can be used not only in the metro but also for the bus, tram and even taxis. But there’s no real use for it other than avoid buying a ticket each time you want to ride the metro. You can charge it in convenience stores, banks and metro stations starting from ¥20. Also you can buy one or three day passes at the service stations in the metro stations with a price of ¥18 (2.65 USD) and ¥45 (6.6 USD) respectively.
Definitely the Shanghai Metro is one of the best ways to move around in the city, and it can be arguably one of the best subway systems in the world. It really connects the main points of the city and it doesn’t have too many inconveniences other than rush hours and the schedule.
This story is part of my 31/31 challenge. Following a friend’s idea I will publish at least one story every day for the next month.
If you see any error please let me know, the idea is to stop over-reviewing my stories before publishing them.
If you liked it be sure to show me your love clicking the ❤️ below. And you can also subscribe to my new publications Shanghai Living and Lost Facts.
You can connect with me via Twitter following me at @fernandlicon.
