Changsha metro Line 1, running 23.55 kilometers through Changsha city from south to north, starts its trial run on June 28, 2016, after five and a half years' of construction.
The new line takes just 45 minutes to travel from Shangshuang Tang Viaduct, the southernmost station, to Kaifu District Government, the northernmost stop. Passengers can transfer to Line 2, Changsha's first metro line, completed in 2014, at Wuyi Square Station.
The interval between trains is currently 8 minutes and 20 seconds, but that is expected to reduce as the trains are sped up. The standard ticket price is 2 yuan to travel up to 6 km, with a maximum fare of 6 yuan. Services will run from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The Line 1 trains are made by CRRC ZELC, equipped with a magnet traction system which is designed to use less electricity and save money. The new line features greater passenger safety with station platforms being extended to 90 meters and an upgraded video surveillance system which integrates with the police, to safeguard travellers and their property.
An AFC (Auto Fare Collection) system will soon be put in place so that passengers will be able to use their mobile phones to pay at station turnstiles.
Changsha metro currently has another three lines under construction, including lines 3, 4 and 5. It is estimated that all the lines will be up and running by 2020.
On June 28, 2016, a new subway line 11 in Shenzhen opened. The picture shows an attendant waits for passengers at Futian Station of newly-opened subway line 11 which directly links Shenzhen Airport with Futian station on Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. CRRC ZELC contributes these metro cars.