A new metro line linking Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports opened on Friday, bringing the city's total operational mileage of rail transit network to 896 km.
According to Shanghai Metro, with an operational mileage of 59 km, the newly added suburban airport line begins at Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 in the west and extends to Pudong International Airport Terminal 1 and 2 in the east.
With a designed speed of 160 km per hour, the trains operating on the new line could link the two major airports in 40 minutes.
"Now, I am heading for Pudong Airport. I checked the schedule and it will take 38 minutes to get there, more than an hour earlier than expected. So it's quite surprising," said Wang Yonghang, a passenger.
"It's good. The ride is smooth and fast. Especially for people like us coming back from a business trip out of town, no matter if we take train or plane, getting home from Hongqiao Station is much easier than before," said Ye Feng, another passenger.
The total length of the new line reaches 68.6 km with a total of nine stations, regarded as a critical east-west backbone of the city's regional metro network.
"Currently, trains run every 15 minutes, with full coverage during the morning and evening rush hours. The first train starts at 06:00 and the last one departs at 22:39," said Gao Fei, deputy chief engineer of Shanghai Metro Operation Co., Ltd.
The line will connect with the city's railway stations and extend towards neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, according to the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission.
This line is also available for the operation of high-speed trains and will further enhance Shanghai's connectivity to the Yangtze River Delta region, according to the Shanghai Shen-Tie Investment Co., Ltd.
Beijing and Shanghai, two of China's most populous cities, boast urban rail transit networks spanning 879 km and 896 km, respectively, making them among the largest in the country.
New railway linking two airports starts operation in Shanghai
