Currently, there are five suburban railway lines under construction in Shanghai, with a total length of 295.5 kilometers. A new airport link line is also set to go into operation by the end of this year. 

So, what are the differences between suburban railways, metros, and high-speed railways? Let's take a look. 

[Photo/WeChat account: pudongfabu]

Suburban railway

Shanghai's suburban railway connects the city's downtown area with surrounding suburban towns, such as Jiading New City, Qingpu New City, and Songjiang New City. These lines are also integrated with the national railway network and linked to the rail systems of neighboring cities.

With a designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour, Shanghai's new suburban railway network utilizes EMU (electrical multiple unit) trains. The network adopts the Chinese-developed signaling system standard of CTCS-2 (China Train Control System-2) + ATO (Automatic Train Operation). 

These suburban railway lines have an average station-to-station distance of less than 3 kilometers, and passengers can scan a QR code or swipe their public transport card to enter a station.

[Photo/WeChat account: pudongfabu]

Metro 

As the mainstay of the city's public transportation system, Shanghai's metro is usually accessible within a 15-minute walk in its central urban area. 

The metro trains have designed speeds between 80 to 100 kilometers per hour, primarily using the CBTC (communication-based train control) signaling system. The metro features short distances between stations, frequent departures, high passenger capacity, and convenient transfers.

[Photo/WeChat account: pudongfabu]

High-speed railway

China's rapidly expanding high-speed railway network has greatly reduced the travel time between Shanghai and other parts of the country, as well as with other cities within the Yangtze River Delta region. 

With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the high-speed railway uses the Chinese standard CTCS-3 or CTCS-2 signaling system. It also operates on fixed schedules and has designated boarding platforms and reserved seats.

The airport link line, which runs from Hongqiao International Airport to Pudong International Airport, is expected to open at the end of 2024. [Photo/IC] 

Faster and more flexible

The Shanghai suburban railway adopts unified construction standards, enabling seamless connectivity with the national railway network and intercity railways within the Yangtze River Delta.

The suburban railway has a minimum train interval of 3 minutes. Passengers can reach the platform via the fare gates, without the need to go through a waiting hall. With a maximum designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour, the surburban railway allows people from suburban towns to reach downtown Shanghai within an hour.

The city's suburban railway lines also feature a flexible operation model. Trains can stop at all stations, only at major stations, or go directly from the departure station to the destination, enabling passengers to travel quickly and conveniently.

Source: "pudongfabu" WeChat account