The Airport Link Line of the Shanghai Suburban Railway has met all operational requirements and is counting down until opening, officials from the constructor, Shanghai Shen-Tie Investment Company, announced on Friday.
The intra-city railway line, which connects Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport, runs 68.6 kilometers with seven stops.
The Airport Link Line of Shanghai Suburban Railway has met operational requirements and is counting down for opening.
It significantly cuts the travel time to less than 40 minutes between the two airports, which currently takes about 100 minutes by Metro and more than an hour by shuttle bus or taxi.
"The line doubles the maximum speed of most subway systems in the city," said Zhang Xiaobin, manager of the technical management department of Shanghai Shen-Tie Investment Co.
"Currently, we have set the train departure interval at 15 minutes. However, with the CTCS2+ATO train control system in operation, the trains are capable for automatic turn-back, which can achieve a 3-minute operation interval across the entire line," Zhang added.
Gate machines are ready for operation at Hongqiao Terminal 2 Station.
As the east-west backbone line of Shanghai intra-city railway system, the line passes through three districts, Minhang, Xuhui and the Pudong New Area, with designed speeds of up to 160 km per hour.
The section currently ready for operation is between Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 Station and Pudong Airport Terminals 1&2 Station, consisting of seven stations, including five underground stations and two on-ground stations.
A digital dashboard shows a speed of up to 160 km per hour.
The entrance to the Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 Station of the Airport Link Line is located on the B1 level of the access between the Terminal 2 of Hongqiao International Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station. After opening, passengers will be able to enter the station by swiping their public transportation cards.
There are five platforms of the Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 Station. Currently platforms 3 and 4 are designed for trains running along the Airport Link Line.
The inner look of the carriage with a digital screen that shows the current station, interior temperature, and which side door will open at the next station.
Unlike Metro trains, the seating arrangement on the Airport Link Line trains is more similar to that of high-speed trains, but with wider seats. Shanghai Daily reporters found that the train ran smoothly and quickly, providing a comfortable riding experience.
This line uses 500-meter-long steel rails laid across intervals, significantly reducing the number of rail joints, which effectively minimizes vibration and bumps during high-speed operation, greatly enhancing riding smoothness and comfort, Zhang said.
The trains on the airport connection line are equipped with different size luggage holders as well as sockets and USB/Type-C charging ports between seats, allowing passengers to recharge laptops, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
The train has large luggage racks.
There are also two wireless charging ports in each carriage of the train, located at the either end of the carriage. Passengers who sit near the ports can access quick wireless charging with a single touch.
The project has passed its safety assessment before initial operation and the gate machines and ticketing equipment at each station are ready. The construction, operation, and other relevant units are fully engaged in the final debugging, drills, and a series of other safeguard work, the company said.
The line is one of five under-construction urban railway lines in the city, and is the backbone line of Shanghai's urban railway network.
Wireless charging ports are set at each end of the carriage.
Shanghai has designed a 1,157km intra-city railway system. Currently, 295.5km of the railway and 50 stations are under construction.
All lines have two types of trains -– four carriages holding a maximum of 748 people and eight carriages holding 1,604 people.
In the future, including the currently under-construction Airport Link Line, Shanghai's intra-city railway network will interconnect and operate across lines, and will also connect to the city's public transportation system and China railway system.
Passenger will be able to reduce transfers between lines, according to Du Feng, deputy general manager of Shanghai Shen-Tie Investment Co.
The platform
In the future, a branch line to Shanghai South Railway Station will also be brought into the Airport Link Line, Du said.
"With the construction and improvement of the urban railway system, Pudong and Hongqiao hubs will better serve the passenger not only from the city, but also from the whole Yangtze River Delta region."
The city's development and reform and transportation authorities announced the ticket fee charging standard of the city's railway system last month: the starting fee for the suburban railways is 4 yuan (55 US cents), and for lines with a top speed of 160km per hour or more will charge 0.45 yuan per kilometer per person.
The opening date and ticket prices will be announced next week.
