How Metro Line 17 becomes the lifeblood of Qingpu
Print Edition
For a long time, a Metro line was the dream of all residents in Qingpu District and an irresistible goal in the district’s development.
Their dream came true on December 30, 2017, when Metro Line 17 started trial operation. It strings through the district’s tourism, culture and industry like a necklace, providing more convenient traffic options and promoting the economic and social development of Qingpu.
Behind it is the efforts of Wang Yulin, deputy director general of the line.
As a Qingpu native, Wang was on the frontline of the design and construction of Line 17 from 2002 to 2017, and he witnessed the birth of the “city’s lifeblood.”
“In the past, I was purely an outsider in Metro construction, and I have kept learning from others over the past 15 years,” said Wang. “All problems are not problems if you are diligent enough, and I was on the scene all the time.”
“Although I am not young, I will keep making contributions to the development of Qingpu as a member of the Communist Party of China,” he said.
Wang was assigned to the preparation and construction work of the line in 2002 when he was 41 years old.
“I was surprised because I had spent nearly 20 years in animal husbandry work. I worried that I could not take the responsibility at that time,” he said. Despite the concerns, Wang took the job and soon started working at his new post.
Qingpu urgently needed a Metro line at that time, because it took some two to three hours to travel from the district to downtown, a journey involving two to three buses.
Inside the district, a public transport line was also urgently needed.
“Inconvenient traffic hindered the development of the region,” Wang said, determined to change the situation.
He kept learning and visiting veterans with Metro construction experience and quickly became a professional construction staffer.
Construction started at the end of 2014, and it took three years to complete.
“It is the first time that a Metro line has started operations in such a short period of time in Shanghai,” said Wang.
In six months, the relocation of 146 agricultural businesses and 48 others was finished. Bridge renovation projects near the line also started early to eliminate obstacles for the main construction.
“All these saved time, and staff involved in the construction of the line worked day and night with the goal to benefit residents,” Wang recalled. “The offices were our home.”
Twelve stations out of 13 on the line are in Qingpu.
Wang raised the goal of “one-stop transfer” after on-the-spot research.
The Caoying Road transport hub now serves a number of bus routes, carrying passengers to different directions. The Caoying Road Station of Line 17 is behind the hub, giving people ultimate convenience.
Over the past three years, 86 bus routes in the district have been improved, and 28 bus stops along Line 17 were newly built or renovated.
“We wanted to make it as convenient as possible for the public,” said Wang.
With fast track development of the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone, the Metro line will be extended west, and the work from Oriental Green Land Station to Xicen Station is proceeding smoothly.
On completion, it will provide fast access between the zone and downtown Shanghai.
In addition, the district will build a comprehensive transport hub in the core of Qingpu New City, with a total investment of 41 billion yuan (US$6.3 billion). This will enable the transfer of Line 17, Shanghai-Suzhou-Jiaxing inter-city line and Jiading-Qingpu-Songjiang-Jinshan Line.
“Now, there is only the Metro Line 17 ‘lifeline,’ and it will be replaced by a ‘transport network’ in the future,” said Wang.
Stretching about 35 kilometers, the Line 17 links Zhujiajiao, Qingpu New City, Zhaoxiang, Xujing and Hongqiao Hub. Its average daily passenger flow has hit 180,000 rides.
The design of each station incorporates local culture and stories.
“For example, there is a ceramic art creation at Zhuguang Road Station, and it features the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), QR code, big data and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, reflecting the rapid science and technology development of the district,” said Wang.
“The design of Xujing Beicheng Station drew inspiration from the starry sky, and the relief painting shows the movement of humanity in the Fuquan Hill where relics is found to prove that Qingpu is the ‘origin’ of Shanghai,” he said.
These Metro stations offer a glimpse into Qingpu, and people will feel like taking a journey through time.
“More importantly, the line significantly cuts the travel time of local residents to school, work and medical treatment in downtown Shanghai, boosts the economy along the line with shopping malls and witnesses booming business and Jinze Town, now a popular tourist destination,” said Wang.
“The line fuels the overall leapfrog development of Qingpu,” he added.
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