Shanghai Metro Line 17 is Opening Very Soon

Shanghai is set to expand its ever-growing Metro network, with Line 17 scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Construction is nearly complete on the new line, which will run from Minhang district to suburban Qingpu. That will no doubt make Zhujiajiao Water Town, one of the city's most popular tourist attractions, much more accessible. The line is currently in testing and debugging stages.

Set to open in December of this year, Line 17 will cover a distance of 35.3 kilometers and have 13 stations. It will also include interchanges to Lines 2 and 10, with terminal stops at Hongqiao Railway Station and Oriental Land. Its color will be tan/light red, and cars will feature fancy LCD screen displays.

The line starts from Oriental Land, via Zhujiajiao Water Town, Dianshanhu Avenue, Caoying Road, Qingpuxincheng, Huijin Road, Zhaoxiang, Jiasong Highway, Xujing North City, Xuying Road, Panlong Road and Zhuguang Road, to Hongqiao Railway Station.

Construction on Line 17 commenced in late 2014, and the line was briefly known as "Line 20" before being renamed. Here are some photos from the construction:

Shanghai's Metro network is the longest in the world, with nine new lines and up to 250 kilometers of track planned to be added by 2025. Several lines are currently under construction, including Lines 14, 15 and 18. Lines 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are also in their early planning stages. The new lines will allow easier transit between Shanghai and other cities like Suzhou and Wuxi.

What the Shanghai Metro will look like by 2020

Additional long overdue transportation upgrades are coming in the near future, including the ability to scan a QR code to pay for subway fares and free wifi on the city buses. 

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