The authorities are planning to conduct a trial operation of the new north extension of Shanghai subway line 11 – which is set to become China's first inter-province subway route.

The extension spans 6 miles and it will take only 7 minutes to travel from the last stop in Shanghai - in Jiading district - to the cities of Suzhou and Kunshan, which are located in the adjacent Jiangsu province.

Once officially open to the public, passengers will be able to travel from Suzhou and Kunshan to Shanghai downtown in about one hour.

The extension starts at Anting station in Jiading, the current north destination of line 11, and ends at Huaqiao station in Jiangsu province – with a total of three new stations. The three overhead stations along the east-west route are located at Zhaofeng Road, Guangming Road, and Huaqiao, all in Kunshan city.

The three new stations have been equipped with necessary transport facilities, including 28 escalators, 10 elevators, public restrooms, and air-conditioned waiting rooms.

The total length of line 11 is expected to reach 72 miles and passengers can use Suzhou transportation smart cards in Shanghai at a basic charge of 3 yuan ($0.49). However, Suzhou smart cards do not enjoy services such as balance recharging and deposit refunding in Shanghai.

Edited by Niva Whyman