China metro boom continues

China has been at the forefront of metro construction for several years and 2023 was no exception. 

 

Time was when 31 December was the magic date when a swathe of new lines and extensions would open across the country to meet the target set out in the Plan, but as the end of 2023 approached there were no less than 17 openings across the country in the period 28 November to 29 December adding 318.6km to the networks in 13 cities: Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Harbin, Hefei, Macau, Nanjing, Nantong, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. 

 

Technical specifications range from the automated mini-metro in the Special Administrative District of Macau (the former Portuguese colony), that has been extended through a tunnel to reach Macau island itself, to the new Zhengxu commuter rail line serving the south-east suburbs of Zhengzhou, including Xinzheng International Airport with an end-to-end distance of 67.1km. 

 

In Chongqing the 29km north–south line 18 includes the so-called Lijiatuo Double-Line bridge across the Yangtze River with the metro running alongside a four-lane highway.