Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

In 2019, the Shenzhen Metro company put the extension lines of Line 5 and Line 9 into operation, bringing the total length of the city’s Metro network to 303 kilometers.

The two extensions strengthened the connections between Qianhai and the rest of the city.

The extension of Line 9 runs 10.8 kilometers with 10 stations, and the extension of Line 5 runs 7.65 kilometers with seven stations.

Currently, there are 16 lines under construction, extending 284 kilometers. The projects that are being developed simultaneously at more than 400 locations have investments totaling 235.4 billion yuan (US$33.6 billion).

In 2020, seven lines at 107 kilometers in total length will be put into operation.

Ridership

Data shows the Shenzhen Metro network’s ridership July 12 reached a new record of 6.62 million. The turnover on Line 1, Line 3 and Line 5 all exceeded 1 million. The turnover on Line 7 and Line 9 also broke their respective records of 640,000 and 400,000 riders.

Carbon emission

In 2019, the passenger turnover of the Shenzhen Metro system is expected to reach 1.64 billion, sharing 50 percent of public transport during rush hours. The Metro service helped reduce 85,000 tons in carbon emissions, equivalent to the amount absorbed by 6 million square meters of grassland, or 2,808 hectares of forest, a year.

Mobile payment

In 2019, the number of riders using WeChat mobile payment for fares reached 1.61 million trips a day, not including the number on Line 4, an increase by 12.65 times the number where the payment method was first introduced in May 2018. On Oct. 1, the number of WeChat payment uses reached 2.13 million.

Lost and found

By the end of November, a total of 4,680 items like mobile phones, bags, wallets, umbrellas and ID cards had been left on trains by passengers. Travelers can call 8896-0600 if they find their items missing.

Security checks

Shenzhen Metro security teams check about 2.65 million items a day and had confiscated 5,247 prohibited items by the end of November.

Busiest route

By November, Metro Line 1 had handled 1.17 million riders a day, becoming the busiest route, followed by Line 5 and Line 3, which had handled 936,000 and 853,200 riders, respectively. Metro Line 1 was put into operation in December 2004. So far it has accumulatively handled 403 million passengers and its single-day record is 1.46 million.

Busiest station

Chegongmiao Station, where four lines meet, namely lines 1, 7, 9 and 11, is the busiest station. It handles about 230,000 riders a day, of which 40 percent use the station during morning rush hours.

Toilets

The Shenzhen Metro company has renovated toilets at 82 stations and baby nursing rooms at 10 stations. Chegongmiao is the first Metro station to use intelligent technology to help riders pinpoint the location of the toilets via smartphone.