Native name 重庆轨道交通 Locale Chongqing, China | Area served Chongqing Urban Area Number of lines 4 | |
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Owner Chongqing City Transportation Development & Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. Transit type rapid transit
straddle-beam monorail | ||
The Chongqing Rail Transit (branded as CRT) also known as Chongqing Metro, is the metro system in the city of Chongqing, China and has been in operation since the year 2005. CRT serves transportation needs in the city's main business and entertainment downtown areas and inner suburbs. It is the oldest of the three metro systems in operation in the interior west of China, the others being Chengdu Metro, and Xi'an Metro which opened in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Contents
- History
- 1946
- 1960
- 1983
- 1991
- 1998
- 2003 2007
- 2013
- Testing timeline
- Phase I 2000 2016
- Phase II 2012 2022
- Network
- Line 1
- Line 2
- Line 3
- Line 6
- Single Journey Tickets
- Transport Cards
- Time limit
- Operation
- Wi fi
- Accessibility
- Visual design
- Line theme
- Network plan
- References
As of December 2016, CRT consisted of four lines, with a total track length of 212.6 km (132.1 mi). Lines 1 and 6 are conventional heavy-rail subways, while Lines 2 and 3 are heavy-capacity monorails. Line 1 is the system's backbone connecting the most densely populated areas including the main Central Business Districts: Jiefangbei, Lianglukou, Daping, and Shapingba. Line 2 runs through three administrative districts in the central city (Yuzhong, Jiulongpo, and Dadukou). Line 6 runs from Jiangbei to Yubei. A system network of 18 lines in total is planned.
At 98 km (61 mi), the system's two monorail lines form the world's largest monorail network, with the 55.5 km (34.5 mi) Line 3 being the world's longest single monorail line, even if the 9.97 km (6.20 mi) Jurenba branch line is excluded. The system is also the world's busiest monorail system with 94 million and 250 million annual rides on Line 2 and 3 respectively in 2015. Line 3 is the world's busiest single monorail line. The network also boosts the world's highest metro-only bridge, the Caijia Rail Transit Bridge on Line 6, spanning a valley with the bridge deck approximately 100 meters above water level. The Chongqing Metro is also constructing the world's longest metro-only suspension bridge, the Egongyan Transit Bridge. The bridge will carry Line 0 trains across a 600m long main section spanning the Yangtze River. The total length of the bridge is 1,650 meters long.
History
The CRT is part of the central government's project to develop the Western regions and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation provided part of the funding. Construction was carried out in cooperation between Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd. and Hitachi Monorail, using advanced Japanese monorail technology. Construction on Line 2 began in 1999, and it was officially opened in June 2005 from Jiaochangkou (Jiefangbei CBD) to Dongwuyuan (Chongqing Zoo).
1946
Nationalist government made a plan of high-speed tram system. The rail weighs 47.77 kg/m, with a rail gauge of 1000 mm, a maximum slope of 9%, a minimum radius of curvature of 80 m. The top speed is 25 km/h (16 mph) in the urban area, and 45 km/h (28 mph) in the suburban area. The train is 8-meter-long, 1.8-meter-wide, with two 35-horsepower motors and a trailer. Each train takes 240 passengers. The headway was designed to be 10 mins. The system was expected to carry 1 million passengers per day. Some of the tracks are underground.
1960
A 100 km-long (62 mi) underground rapid rail transit system which links the city center with Xinpaifang, Xiaolongkan, Yangjiaping, Shiqiaopu, Lianglukou, etc. was planned.
1983
A 12.2 km-long (7.6 mi) subway line (Chaotianmen – Yangjiaping) was planned. This route is the precursor to today's Line 2.
1991
A 55 km-long (34 mi) monorail system was planned.
1998
A refreshed edition of the 1991 plan. The total length is about 119 km (74 mi).
2003 & 2007
An expended edition of the 1998 plan. The length was about 522 km (324 mi). It has 10 Lines, including a circle line.
2013
The current plan. An expended edition of the 2007 plan. The length was about 820 km (510 mi). It has 18 Lines, including a circle line.
Testing timeline
These tests left some tunnels, which were re-used in the construction of Lines 1 and 2.
Phase I (2000 – 2016)
Phase II (2012 – 2022)
Network
CRT is a unique metro system in China in that a significant number of lines use heavy monorail technology. In a hilly, multiple-river city it is not feasible to construct an all heavy-rail tunnel system given the depths of some many of the stations. For this reason, there are two straddle-beam monorail lines using heavy vehicles. The monorail vehicles with strong climbing capabilities and have rapid transit capacity, capable of transporting 32,000 passengers per hour per direction, invaluable in the densely populated but hilly city. Line 2 is for the most part elevated above streets, although a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) section is underground, including three of its 18 stations in the Jiefangbei CBD and Daping downtown areas in hyper-dense populated area of Yuzhong District. In 2010, Line 2 served 45 million passengers.
Line 1 is the first conventional subway running in a deep bored tunnel below Yuzhong and Shapingba Districts. The other conventional subway is Line 6, which connects the main central business districts of Nanping in Nan'an District and Jiangbei's Guanyinqiao CBD and New City CBD to Jiefangbei CBD.
To keep up with demand, construction is under way on extensions to Line 1 and Line 3, whose primary route is currently under trial. There are also Line 0, 4, 5, 9, 10 under construction.
Line 1
Line 1 runs 16.4 km (10.2 mi) from Chaotianmen in downtown west to Shapingba, and eventually to Jiandingpo with a length of 38.9 km (24.2 mi). It is the first heavy-rail subway line, the second in Western China. Passenger capacity is 36,000 passengers/hour/direction.
In 1992, the Chongqing government signed a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement with a Hong Kong company and provided the land for the project, but work ceased in 1997 due to legal issues. Work resumed from Chaotianmen to Shapingba on 9 June 2007, and opened to limited operation on 28 July. Thales provided an Operations Control Centre for this line.
Line 1 has 23 stations, including interchange stations with Line 2 at Jiaochangkou in Jeifangbei CBD and at Daping and with Line 3 at Lianglukou, near the Chongqing Rail Station in the Caiyuanba section of central Yuzhong.
Line 2
Line 2, a monorail line, runs 31.3 km (19.4 mi) and services 25 stations. It begins as a subway under downtown Jeifangbei, then runs west along the southern bank of the Jialing River on an elevated line, then turns south into the south-western inner suburbs, looping back east to terminate at Yudong in Ba'nan. It also runs through Daping CBD and Yingjiaping CBD in Jiulongpo District and the Chongqing City Zoo at Dongwuyuan Station. Most trains consist of four carriages, and six-carriage trains began to operate in September 2012. Line 2 is the first rapid transit line to open in the Interior West of China (in 2005). In 2013, six-car trains are being implemented due to overcrowding and increasing demand.
Line 3
Line 3 runs from north to south, linking the districts separated by the Yangtze (Chang Jiang) and Jialing rivers. The initial segment from Lianglukou to Yuanyang (18 stations, 17.5 km (10.9 mi)) opened on 29 September 2011, with a northern extension from Yuanyang to Jiangbei Airport opening on 30 December 2011 and a southern extension from Ertang to Yudong on 28 December 2012.
Most trains consist of six carriages, bigger than on the older Line 2, expected to upgrade to eight-car trains by 2014. Currently 8 car trains are in operation. There are interchange stations in central Yuzhong district with Line 1 at Lianglukou (Caiyuanba Intercity Railway/Bus Station), and with Line 2 at Niujiaotuo.
Line 6
Line 6 is the second heavy-rail subway. Opened on 28 September 2012 it connects Nan'an, Yuzhong, and Jiangbei districts in central Chongqing. A northern branch line from Lijia to Wulukou, Beibei district was opened on 31 December 2013, 26.2 km (16.3 mi) long with five stations. The Chayuan extension Phase 1 was opened in 2014. Thales provided an Operations Control Centre for this line.
Single Journey Tickets
Tickets range from ¥2 (0.32 USD) to ¥7 (1.12 USD) depending on distance. Day passes cost ¥18 (2.89 USD).
Refund
Only unused tickets bought on the same day and at the same station can be refunded without explanation. If the train was delayed for over 15 minutes, the tickets may be refunded and a certificate of delay can be acquired.
Transport Cards
CRT accepts Life & Transport Card (Chongqing Universal Card, released by Chongqing City Card Payment Co., Ltd.) and its compatible cards released by partner companies in other cities of China. You can get a 10% discount is applied to the Regular Card when used on public transit in the city. You'll only have to pay the higher price when you transfer in the system within 1 hr (not including metro-to-metro, according to the paying time). Regular Card can be purchased at any CRT station and a deposit can be recovered when the card is returned with receipt. In addition the card can be used in many shops, cinemas, restaurant, etc. in Chongqing. Students' Card and Elders' Card are not available in CRT, but you can add a cash sub-account to them at the service points for free.
Time limit
All trips must be complete in 3 hours upon entering the fare paid area, if a passenger overstayed beyond the allotted time the highest ticket price in the system will be charged.
Operation
For every termius or branch termius, the first train leaves at 6:30 while the last leaves at 22:30.
During times of heavy use such as major events, CRT may close some stations to avoid overcrowding. In 2016, CRT closed Xiaoshizi, Jiaochangkou, Qixinggang, Lianglukou, Linjiangmen, Huaxinjie, Guanyinqiao, Dajuyuan, Hongqihegou and Shangxinjie Station after 19:00 in Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year Eve.
Wi-fi
Free Wi-fi is provided in most platforms and trains of Line 1 & 6 at 5 GHz. An app called Heikuai (Chinese: 嘿快) will be required.
Accessibility
Almost every station has accessible elevators and toilets, and almost every train has wheelchair locks. Only the initial section of Line 2 (Jiaochangkou - Xinshancun part) and rolling stock are not fully accessible. In addition many older interchange channels between lines are not designed with accessibility in mind.
Visual design
Unlike most metro systems of other cities in China, CRT did not follow the design style of MTR Corporation in Hong Kong. The signs are designed by GK Design Group in Japan and the monorail lines are based on Hitachi Monorail technology, giving the Chongqing Metro a distinctive Japanese aesthetic in contrast to other metro systems in China.
Line theme
CRT gave each line a theme about local culture, and the stations of the line will have some art works in the theme.
Network plan
CRT is expected to have 8 lines criss-crossing the urban districts by 2020, and a loop line connecting the commercial areas in the urban area. The rest 8 lines are expected to be in operation before 2050.