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Urban rail transit in China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Urban rail transit in China
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Urban rail transit in China encompasses a broad range of urban and suburban electric passenger rail mass transit systems including subway, light rail, tram and maglev.[1] Some classifications also include non-rail bus rapid transport.

Thumb
Map of cities in Greater China (mainland China, the SARs, and Taiwan) with rapid transit, commuter rail and light rail systems. The two higher-resolution maps to the left show the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions.

As of December 2024, China has the world's longest urban rail transit system[failed verification] with 11,000.88 km (6,835.63 mi) of urban rail nationwide[failed verification] in 310 metro lines in 47 cities[failed verification], accounting for 9 of the 10 longest metro systems, with the exceptions of the Moscow Metro.[2]

Half of the top 10 busiest metro systems are in China,[3] and the Shanghai Metro, though started operating in 1993, is now the longest metro system worldwide.[4][5][6]

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History

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Several Chinese cities had urban electric tramways in the early 20th century, most of which were dismantled in the 1950s–1970s. The only surviving tramways are in Dalian (Dairen) and Changchun (see trams in Dalian and trams in Changchun). Nanjing (Nanking) had an urban railway [zh] from 1907 to 1958.

The first subway in China was built in Beijing in 1969 (but it was only handed to civilian control in 1981 and trial operations ended later in the same year; before which credentials were required). The Tianjin Metro followed in 1984. The MTR Corporation Limited from across the border in Hong Kong has investment, consulting and management stakes in the rapid transit systems of several mainland Chinese cities (having completed their first section of subway and entered into revenue operation in 1979 in New Kowloon, at the time when the territory was under British rule).

The rapid growth of the Chinese economy since the 1980s has created a huge surge in demand for urban transport. This prompted cities across China to pursue and draft proposals for subway networks, with Shanghai and Guangzhou opening their first sections of subway in the 1990s, inspiring more cities to propose subway networks. In 1995, the Central Government, alarmed by the high cost and financial debt from these ambitious subway plans, put out a "notice on the suspension of approval of urban underground rapid rail transit projects" barring new subway systems outside of Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shanghai from being built.[7] At the time Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Dalian and Shenzhen had advanced proposals waiting to be approved. Wuhan, Chongqing, Dalian managed to circumvent the moratorium on subway construction by constructing and opening lower cost elevated lines, light metros, and monorails in the early 2000s. Changchun was the first city constructing real light rail system in China, which began operation in 2002. Its first transit line, Line 3, is a light rail line not fully grade separated, still having four level crossings as of 2023. It's also the only rapid transit system combined light rail and rapid transit lines in China, which can directly transfer to each other.[citation needed]

Rapid urbanization of China led to severe congestion and pollution in urban areas leading to the suspension being lifted. Initially, light metro lines using small profile and shorter rolling stock were constructed to reduce costs. It was assumed that as ridership grows the line will operate trains at a low headway to increase capacity. This design paradigm was known in China as "small rolling stock, high density" operation.[8][9][10] However, after a few years operating, many of these lines such as Guangzhou Metro Line 3, Line 6, Shanghai Metro Line 6, and Line 8 were severely overcapacity. Guangzhou Metro Line 3 was able to reconfigure from 3-car trains into 6-car trains to slightly relieve overcapacity. This led many cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu to use higher capacity designs on newer lines.[citation needed]

Since the mid-2000s, the growth of rapid transit systems in Chinese cities has rapidly accelerated, with most of the world's new subway mileage in the past decade opening in China.[11][4][12][13] From 2009 to 2015, China built 87 mass transit rail lines, totaling 3,100 km (1,900 mi), in 25 cities at the cost of ¥988.6 billion.[14] In 2016, the Chinese government lowered the minimum population criteria for a city to start planning a metro system from 3 million to 1.5 million residents.[15] As part of its 13th Five Year Plan, the Chinese government published a transport whitepaper titled "Development of China's Transport". The plan envisions a more sustainable transport system with priority focused on high-capacity public transit particularly urban rail transit and bus rapid transit. All cities with over 3 million residents will start or continue to develop urban rail networks. Regional rail networks will be constructed internally connect and integrate urban agglomerations such as the Jingjinji, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta areas.[16][17] In 2017, some 43 smaller third-tier cities in China have received approval to develop subway lines.[18]


Commencement dates of lines and extensions

Legend

  – Lines / extensions in operation.
  – Lines / extensions under testing.

More information lines and extensions by commencement date, Livery ...
  1. Line realignment, previously part of Line 1 since 1 October 1969 (1969-10-01).
  2. Line realignment, previously part of Line 2 since 28 June 2003 (2003-06-28).
  3. Line realignment, previously part of Line 2 since 26 December 2005 (2005-12-26).
  4. Line realignment, previously part of Line 1 since 24 November 2012 (2012-11-24).
  5. Metro standardization completion, previously, a non-electrified single-track since 27 February 1974 (1974-11-30).
  6. Metro standardization completion, previously, a non-electrified single-track since 27 October 1910 (1910-10-01).
  7. Metro standardization completion, previously, a non-electrified single-track since 16 May 1930 (1930-05-16).
  8. Metro standardization completion, previously, a non-electrified single-track since 14 October 1949 (1949-10-14).
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Rapid transit

Summarize
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Overview

More information System, Locale ...
  1. Line realignment, previously part of Line 17 since 18 December 2020 (2020-12-18).
  2. All interchange stations (i.e. different sets of platforms) are counted once.
  3. Ridership for the past 5 years.
  4. Both Xijiao Line and Yizhuang T1 line are light rail lines and are not fully grade separated.
  5. Open for public operation on 15 January 1971 (1971-01-15).
  6. 3 metro lines, 3 light rail lines
  7. 54 stations on metro lines, 62 stations on light rail lines, 7 stations are metro-light rail transfer station
  8. 72.57 km (45.09 mi) of metro lines, 68.2 km (42.4 mi) of light rail lines
  9. First line opened on 2002-10-30, as a light rail system
  10. Not including Chengdu Tram Line 2, which is a light rail line and not fully grade separated.
  11. Not including Haizhu Tram (THZ1), which is a light rail line and not fully grade separated.
  12. Guangfo line is excluded. Also see Foshan Metro.
  13. The Kowloon–Canton Railway (Current East Rail line/ERL) begin operation single track on 1 October 1910 (1910-10-01). Begin operation on 1 October 1979 (1979-10-01) as MTR Corporation and 24 December 1982 (1982-12-24) as KCRC. ERL electrification completed by 16 July 1983 (1983-07-16).[citation needed] ERL double-track completed by 27 February 1984 (1984-02-27). KCRC operations taken over by MTR on 2 December 2007 (2007-12-02).
  14. Open for public operation on 28 December 1984 (1984-12-28). The system was closed on 1 September 2001 (2001-09-01) for renovation and reopened on 12 June 2006 (2006-06-12).
  15. There are 12 stations between systems that are not counted multiple times, 6 between Foshan Metro and Guangzhou Metro, 2 between Shanghai Metro and Shanghai maglev train, 2 between Changsha Metro and Changsha Maglev Express, 1 between Shanghai Metro and Suzhou Metro, and 1 between Hangzhou Metro and Shaoxing Metro.
  1. Note that:
    1. Annual ridership is derived from the sum of each month's "Monthly Total" for each year
    2. The ridership includes "MTR Lines", "Airport Express" and "Cross-boundary".
    3. "Intercity, Light Rail & Bus" are excluded from the counts.

Urban rapid transit lines

Legend

  – Lines in operation
  – Lines under testing

More information Livery, Line ...

Under construction

  • Xiong'an Rail Transit [zh]

Construction suspended

Proposed

  • Anqing Metro
  • Baoji Metro [zh]
  • Chengde Metro
  • Chenzhou Metro
  • Chifeng Metro
  • Chuzhou Metro [zh]
  • Datong Metro
  • Dazhou Metro [zh]
  • Ezhou Metro [zh]
  • Fuxin Metro
  • Fuyang Metro
  • Ganzhou Metro [zh]
  • Guangyuan Metro
  • Haikou Metro [zh]
  • Handan Metro [zh]
  • Heze Metro [zh]
  • Huainan Metro [zh]
  • Huizhou Metro [zh]
  • Huzhou Metro
  • Jiaxing Metro [zh]
  • Jinzhong Metro [zh]
  • Liaocheng Metro
  • Lijiang Metro [zh]
  • Linyi Metro [zh]
  • Longyan Metro
  • Luzhou Metro
  • Ma'anshan Metro
  • Mudanjiang Metro [zh]
  • Nanchong Metro
  • Nanyang Metro
  • Neijiang Metro
  • Putian Metro [zh]
  • Quanzhou Metro [zh][221]
  • Quzhou Metro
  • Rizhao Metro
  • Sanya Metro
  • Shangrao Metro
  • Shiyan Metro
  • Suqian Metro
  • Tangshan Metro
  • Tongling Metro [zh]
  • Weifang Metro [zh]
  • Weihai Metro [zh]
  • Weinan Metro
  • Wuzhou Metro
  • Xiangyang Metro
  • Xingtai Metro
  • Xining Metro
  • Xuancheng Metro
  • Yancheng Metro
  • Yangzhou Metro [zh][222]
  • Yantai Metro [zh]
  • Yichang Metro
  • Yinchuan Metro
  • Yulin Metro
  • Zhangzhou Metro
  • Zhanjiang Metro
  • Zhenjiang Metro [zh]
  • Zhongshan Metro
  • Zhuhai Metro
  • Zhuzhou Metro
  • Zibo Metro
  • Zunyi Metro [zh]
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Suburban and regional rail

More information Regional, suburban, & commuter rail, Corridor ...
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Tram and light rail

Legend

  - In operation.
  - Under test run.

More information Tram and light rail systems, System ...

    Defunct systems

    Under construction

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    Monorail and maglev

    More information Monorail/maglev systems, System ...

    Under Construction

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    Summary

    Summarize
    Perspective

    Provincial statistics

    More information RT systems among Provincial-level administrative divisions, Province ...

    List of rapid transit systems by province

    Anhui

    More information System, Information ...

    Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei

    More information System, Information ...

    Chongqing-Sichuan

    More information System, Information ...

    Fujian

    More information System, Information ...

    Gansu

    More information System, Information ...

    Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau

    More information System, Information ...

    Guangxi

    More information System, Information ...

    Guizhou

    More information System, Information ...

    Heilongjiang

    More information System, Information ...

    Henan

    More information System, Information ...

    Hubei

    More information System, Information ...

    Hunan

    More information System, Information ...

    Inner Mongolia

    More information System, Information ...

    Jiangxi

    More information System, Information ...

    Jilin

    More information System, Information ...

    Liaoning

    More information System, Information ...

    Shaanxi

    More information System, Information ...

    Shandong

    More information System, Information ...

    Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang

    More information System, Information ...

    Shanxi

    More information System, Information ...

    Xinjiang

    More information System, Information ...

    Yunnan

    More information System, Information ...
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    See also

    Notes

    1. Type B1 cars are powered by third rail,while type B2 cars are powered by overhead wiring.
    2. Special vehicle type for Chongqing
    3. Special vehicle type for Hangzhou
    4. Divided into 3 types, including C-I, C-II and C-III, each type have high-floor and low-floor variants
    5. Below is a comparison of the different vehicle types in Chinese rapid transit.
      More information Vehicle type, Length (m) ...
    6. Line realignment, previously part of Line 17 since 18 December 2020 (2020-12-18).
    7. The same system also combined metro system
    8. Systems listed here may also be listed as rapid transit.
    9. Both Xijiao Line and Yizhuang T1 line are light rail lines and are not fully grade separated.
    1. Line realignment, previously part of Line 1 since 24 November 2012 (2012-11-24).
    2. Metro standardization completion, previously, a non-electrified single-track line since 1 October 1910 (1910-10-01).
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      References

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