Suzhou Rail Transit, also known as Suzhou Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province, China. Line 1 began operation on April 28, 2012.[2] Line 2 opened on December 28, 2013. A further three lines, and an extension of Line 2, were completed between 2016 and 2021.[3][4] Line 11 connecting Kunshan city which is under Suzhou's administration, and beyond to the Shanghai Metro was completed on June 24, 2023.[5][6][7]
| Suzhou Metro | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 蘇州軌道交通 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 苏州轨道交通 | ||||||
| |||||||
 | |||||||
 | |||||||
| Overview | |||||||
| Locale | Suzhou, Jiangsu, China | ||||||
| Transit type | Rapid transit | ||||||
| Number of lines | 6 (in operation) | ||||||
| Number of stations | 196 | ||||||
| Daily ridership | 1,911,000 (1 January 2021 record) | ||||||
| Annual ridership | 410 million (2021)[1] | ||||||
| Website | http://www.sz-mtr.com/ (Chinese) | ||||||
| Operation | |||||||
| Began operation | April 28, 2012 | ||||||
| Technical | |||||||
| System length | 249.47 kilometres (155.01 mi) | ||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||||
| Electrification | 1.5 kV Overhead Wire | ||||||
| |||||||
Daily ridership increased from 680,000 (2017 average)[8] to 899,000 (2018 average) to 995,000 (2019 average). Record ridership increased from 1,130,000 (30 April 2017)[9] to 1,548,000 (2 May 2019 record).
Lines
| Line | Terminals (District) | Commencement | Newest Extension | Length km | Stations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mudu (Wuzhong) | Zhongnan Jie (Gusu) | 2012 | — | 25.7 | 24 |
| 2 | Qihe (Xiangcheng) | Sangtiandao (Gusu) | 2013 | 2016 | 40.4 | 35 |
| 3 | Suzhou Xinqu Railway Station (Huqiu) | Weiting (SIP) | 2019 | — | 45.2 | 37 |
| 4 | Longdaobang (Xiangcheng) | Tongli (Wujiang) Muli (Wuzhong) | 2017 | — | 52.8 | 38 |
| 5 | Taihu Xiangshan (Wuzhong) | Yangchenghu South (SIP) | 2021 | — | 44.1 | 34 |
| 11 | Weiting (SIP) | Huaqiao (Kunshan) | 2023 | — | 41.27 | 28 |
| Total | 249.47 | 196 | ||||
Line 1
Line 1 opened on April 28, 2012.[2] It is a line running generally east–west, from Mudu station in western Suzhou to Zhongnan Jie station in Suzhou Industrial Park.[3][10] It is 25 km (16 mi) long with 24 stations.
Construction on Line 1 began on December 26, 2007, and was completed by 2012. On December 30, 2011, the first 21 cars for Line 1 have been delivered.[11]
Line 2
Line 2 opened on December 28, 2013. It is a line running generally north–south, from Suzhou North Railway Station in north Xiangcheng District to Baodaiqiao South station close to Precious Belt Bridge located in Wuzhong District.
Construction on Line 2 began on December 25, 2009, and was completed by early 2013. On December 28, 2013, line 2 started service and became a part of Suzhou Rail Transit system. The new 13 stations were opened on September 24, 2016.
Line 3
Line 3 started trial operations from December 6 to December 10, 2019[12] and officially started operation on December 25, 2019.[13] Line 3 got approval to start construction on January 20, 2012. The line is an east–west line, leading from Suzhou Xinqu Railway Station to Weiting. There will be through service between Line 3 and Line 11 of Suzhou Rail Transit in late 2023.
Line 4
Line 4 started trial operations on April 14, 2017.[14] The line starts in the north of Suzhou, west of Line 2. Its main line leads from Longdaobang to Tongli in the south/south east of Suzhou. After reaching Suzhou railway station, it approximately follows Renmin road and Dongwubei road reaching further south until Tongli in Wujiang District. The Southwest Branch of Line 4 is the first phase of the future Line 7. This branch is supposed to follow the same path as the main line until Hongzhuang, then turning into south western direction leading to Youxiang Road.
Line 5
Line 5 opened on 29 June 2021 and runs from Taihu Xiangshan to Yangchenghu South.
Line 11
Line 11 (formerly Line S1) is an east west intercity rapid transit line of Suzhou Rail Transit. It opened on 24 June 2023. It serves Kunshan City and connects to the Shanghai Metro, with the terminal station of Huaqiao also being an interchange station where passengers can interchange to Line 11 of the Shanghai Metro. There is also through service between Line 3 and Line 11 of Suzhou Rail Transit. It is the first line in Mainland China to use Unattended Train Operation (UTO) (GoA4).[15]
Lines under construction
| Line | Number of stations | Line Length | Terminals | Scheduled Opening | Construction began | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 31 | 36.12 km (22.44 mi) | Suzhou Xinqu Railway Station | Huayun | June 2024 | Late 2018 |
| 7 | 25 | 29.6 km (18.4 mi) | Moyang | Muli | December 2024 | Late 2019 |
| 8 | 28[16] | 35.5 km (22.1 mi)[16] | Xijinqiao | Chefang | September 2024[16] | 2019 |
| 2 | 4 | 4.69 km (2.91 mi) | Aigehao Lu | Qihe | 2026 | 2022 |
| 4 | 4 | 7.15 km (4.44 mi) | Guantang Lu | Longdaobang | 2026 | 2022 |
| 7 | 4 | 7.6 km (4.7 mi) | Chunqiu Lu | Moyang | 2026 | 2022 |
| 10 [17] | 21 | 90.34 km (56.13 mi) | Jingang | Suzhou North Railway Station | 2028 | 2023 |
Line 6
Line 7
Line 7 is an east–west line of Suzhou Rail Transit. Construction started on December 25, 2019.[18] It is scheduled to open in December 2024.[18]
Line 8
Line 8 is 35.5 km in length with 28 stations. It is scheduled to open in September 2024.[16]
Line 10
Line 10 is a north south express regional rapid transit line of Suzhou Rail Transit. The first section connecting the northern neighboring cities of Zhangjiagang and Changshu.[19] The line was formerly known as Line S5.
Fares and tickets
The base fare of Suzhou Rail Transit is 2 yuan (US$0.33) for journeys under 6 km (3.7 mi), then 1 yuan for each 5 km (3.1 mi) between 6–16 km (3.7–9.9 mi), 1 yuan for each 7 km (4.3 mi) between 16 and 30 km (9.9 and 18.6 mi), 1 yuan for 9 km (5.6 mi) more than 30 km (18.6 mi). As September 24, 2016, the highest fare is 8 yuan (US$1.33).
Users of the Suzhou Tong get a 5% discount for every journey.
Gallery
A station on Line 1
A station on Line 2
Shihu Road station under construction
Preparation for a construction site between Heshan Road and Huashan Road stations of Line 3
Network Map
See also
References
External links
