Shanghai to Jiangsu subway link is a mainland first
New inter-provincial link opens amid nationwide subway construction boom
The mainland's first inter-provincial subway link started running yesterday morning, connecting downtown Shanghai with neighbouring Kunshan in Jiangsu province.
The extension of subway Line 11 in Shanghai to subway lines in Kunshan means travel time from Huaqiao station in Kunshan to Shanghai's downtown Xujiahui station is only 70 minutes.
A one-way ticket costs seven yuan (HK$8.85).
The mainland is in the midst of a subway construction spree. The National Development and Reform Commission last year approved 23 subway lines and three railway lines in numerous cities with investment totalling 700 billion yuan. Suzhou and Wuxi , two other cities in Jiangsu, will be connected to Shanghai by subway by 2015.
Curious crowds gathered at platforms of Line 11 to see and experience the new link. More than 90 per cent of passengers were travelling to Kunshan and most were elderly, the Shanghai Evening Post reported.
"The subway used to go to Anting station and we had to change to a bus to go to Huaqiao. Now it's much easier," an elderly man told the newspaper.