Nanjing transportation is ending 2022 in style, with the simultaneous opening of a brand new metro line, an extension to an existing line and another road link under the Yangtze. All provide much-needed inter connectivity to a part of the city hitherto largely underserved.
Yesterday, 28 December, saw Nanjing Metro Line 7 and the northern extension to Line 1 begin carrying fare-paying passengers, while those in vehicles also started driving into the new Yanziji Yangtze River Tunnel.
Beginning with the Metro, yesterday’s openings bring the number of metro lines in Nanjing to 12 and the network’s total length to 449 kilometres, some 20 kilometres longer than previously. The additions also add another 15 stations to the system, bringing the total to 208.
Line 7 is the one that has gathered the most attention in recent months, for it being Nanjing’s first fully automated line. That means passengers can treat themselves to what was previously a drivers-only view from either the front or rear of trains.
For the technically minded, Line 7 is equipped with the “GoA4” level of automation, the highest degree of autonomy for a train that exists. Thereby, trains are distinct by being capable of operating automatically at all times, while also being able to open and close doors, detect obstacles and react to emergencies.
The high tech doesn’t stop there. During their wait on the platforms for a Line 7 train, passengers may look at a real-time display showing the occupancy of each carriage on incoming trains, helping to ease passenger congestion and make for more pleasant journeys.
The northern section of Line 7 has its eastern terminus at Mufu Xi Lu near the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge on its southern side. It then proceeds in a largely northeasterly direction into Qixia District where it terminates at its intersection with what will be Line 8 at Xianxin Lu. With 10 stations in total, Line 7 also intersects with Line 1 and 3, at Xiaozhuang and Wutang Guang Chang, respectively.
Over on Line 1, the freshly-opened extension begins at the former terminus of Maigaoqiao, from where the Line plunges underground along a 6.524-kilometre-long track to its new terminus at Baguazhou Bridge South.
Aside from the termini and the intersection with Line 7 at Xiaozhuang, the remaining new stations on Line 1 are Jixiang’an, Yanziji and Badoushan.
These two openings and that of the extension to Line S8 some 3 months ago mean that a new metro line has become water off a duck’s back for many a Nanjinger. But that’s not the case on the roads, where it’s now been a few days short of 7 years since Nanjing opened a road link under the Yangtze River.
This in part explained the excitement surrounding the new tunnel yesterday. That, and the fact it was about to take just 3 minutes to travel from the Nanjing mainland to once-remote Baguazhou, that enormous Yangtze River islet in northern Nanjing.
Hence many residents gathered early yesterday afternoon to witness the opening of our third road link under that mighty body of water; the Yanziji Yangtze River Tunnel.
While more and more cars queued ahead of the 15:00 opening, a reporter for the Yangtze Evening News talked to the occupants of one vehicle. They spoke of beginning to feel suffocated at home and deciding to take a family trip.
The driver explained that he has an old relative on Baguazhou and that it previously cost him ¥40 for a round trip via the Baguazhou Bridge (formerly Nanjing Number 2 Bridge) to pay a visit, a trip which also took quite some time.
But upon hearing the news of the Tunnel’s opening, the entire family clamoured at the opportunity. As the driver said, “Now it’s as if we’re just going to Baguazhou to buy some hens and eggs”.
