A subway that links Shanghai and Jiangsu will become a reality. The extension of the Subway Line 11 (Huaqiao) project in Shanghai, China’s first trans-provincial urban track traffic project, was recently approved by the National Development and Reform Committee. Under this project, the northern section of the Subway Line 11 project will extend from Anting Town in Shanghai to Huaqiao Town of Kunshan in Jiangsu Province.

Experts say that the urban transportation infrastructure has broken through the obstruction of administrative divisions and has realized a real interconnection. It will greatly accelerate the pace of regional economic integration, strengthen the one-city effect in large areas, and also provide an example of trans-regional interconnection for urban agglomerations in China that are rapidly developing their urban track traffic networks.

According to sources, Subway Line 11 will be extended from the Anting Station in Shanghai and go westwards along Caoan Road to Huaqiao Town in Kunshan. The total length of the extension is about six kilometers. It is an elevated section with three stations, i.e. Zhaofeng Road Station, Guangming Road Station and Huaqiao Station. The extension will also be included in the urban track traffic network of Suzhou to connect with the planned Subway Line 1.

Currently, Line 11 in Shanghai has already connected to Anting Town of Jiading in Shanghai which is very close to Kunshan of Jiangsu Province. People can clearly overlook Huaqiao Town at the high-rise office building of Anting Auto City. They are real near neighbors. Kunshan in Jiangsu Province hopes to launch further connections with Shanghai through urban track traffic to promote regional development. Shanghai has begun to implement active consultations with Jiangsu Province in related aspects as early as two years ago to promote the interconnection project of track traffic. It seems to be a natural result that this innovative project is now approved by the government.

Our reporter did an experiment by taking Subway Line 11. It only takes about one hour from the western terminal Anting Station to the urban terminal Jiangsu Road Station. In other words, it will only take more than one hour from Huaqiao Town of Kunshan to the urban area of Shanghai by subway after the trans-provincial line is completed. In addition, people can arrive at downtown Shanghai such as the Jingan Temple and Nanjing Road area in few minutes if they transfer to Subway Line 2 from Jiangsu Road Station.

“The trans-provincial subway that connects the urban track traffic in Shanghai and Jiangsu has profound significance. It can be said that it is an important attempt to break the obstruction of the administrative divisions and a new breakthrough in the cross-regional development of China’s urban track traffic,” said Sun Zhang, a metro expert and a professor from the Institution of Railway and Urban Track Traffic under Tongji University. He also added that as urban track traffic is the municipal transportation infrastructure of a city, there is no precedent for interconnection. Therefore, the current project should be described as an important realistic breakthrough that is in line with the law of the future regional economic development.

Sun pointed out that according to the plan, Subway Line 11 in Shanghai is an important route throughout the entire city and is also one of the longest operating subway lines. Different from the general urban track lines running in the urban area, Line 11 is an urban area line running from the center of Shanghai to the outer suburban districts and this line will now realize trans-provincial connections. This is undoubtedly a foresight for the long-term development strategy of the Yangtze River Delta.

Sun also said that compared with some original cross-regional transportation such as high-speed railways and highways, the advantages of subways such as convenience, low ticket prices and intensive schedules are self-evident. In fact, it is an extension of urban public transit that allows people to live in Kunshan and work in Shanghai. It also plays a great role in promoting the regional economy.

Yu Hongsheng, an expert of regional economy and chief of the Research Center of Urbanization Development under the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, believes the trans-provincial subway connecting Shanghai and Jiangsu breaks the limitations in developing the large traffic pattern and the restrictions of administrative divisions. It has important significance in two aspects. In regards to its realistic significance, this project will enhance Shanghai’s radiation effect in the Yangtze River Delta and directly affect Kunshan and Suzhou regions. “We have achieved the integration of life and production through urban track traffic. This is a promotion for the joint development in the Yangtze River Delta region in the future,” Yu said.

He stressed that in regards to its demonstration significance, it will also provide a typical model for the development of urban track traffic in other Chinese cities and urban agglomerations that are becoming more rational in layouts. The interconnection realized through urban track traffic is a kind of useful experience for the regional development.

Sun also pointed out that realizing trans-regional interconnection through track traffic also needs certain conditions. First, it should be based on the core cities in the urban agglomerations. Second, connected cities around the big cities must have a certain scale in order to ensure a certain passenger flow volume on the subway after the connection, and possess the conditions for the future cluster development and the development of satellite towns. Third, the distance of the track traffic operation should also be reasonable to satisfy the demand of passengers who travel back and forth every workday. If the distance is too far, the availability will be reduced. “In addition, the construction of the trans-regional track traffic will be more close to the model of the large railways to minimize costs through combining ground and overhead routes,” Sun said.

Source: CNTV

Editor: Tang Zhi