“Asian Review 007” Shanghai part7
Situation of internal transit in Shanghai The total length of the Shanghai subway network is 567 km and is the second largest in the world after Beijing. The network spreads out to the suburbs. Compared with Tokyo, Tokyo surpluses in the density of the subway lines in the city center. Tokyo is ranked first in the number of passenger usage in the world. If the distance of private railroads that operate directly by the “mutual operation system” is added, Tokyo’s subway network will be the longest in the world.
In Shanghai, transfer between different lines have become convenient, but there are a few stations that require more than 10 minutes to transfer, even in the stations with the same name.
Another important facility for commutation is the bus system. It is convenient because buses can be used for 2 RMB (approx. 0.25USD) regardless of distance, and the arrival time to the destination can be predicted with an application on a smartphone. In 2017, the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit, “71 line”) began its operation. It runs back and forth on the main east-west axis of Shanghai on the exclusive lanes. Trolley buses with two cars arriving every three minutes is a factor driving its popularity. This rapid service is available for 2 RMB as well!
