Metro

Shenzhen Metro to Extend Holiday Service for Christmas, New Year’s

Posted: 12/24/2014 9:36 am

Santa passes out treats on the Hangzhou Metro in 2012.

The Christmas holidays may not be official in China, but don’t let that stop you from celebrating all night long this year, as the Shenzhen Metro will be extending service hours for Christmas and New Year’s.

All five lines of the Shenzhen Metro will provide 24 hour service on December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 31 (New Year’s Eve), and January 1, 2015 (New Year’s Day).

If you’re concerned about going home by subway using limited service, they’ve confirmed complete service after midnight for New Year’s Eve revelers on two lines. On January 1 at 12:15 and 12:25am, Line 1 will run two trains the entire line from Luohu Station to Airport East Station. Line 2 will run the same schedule from Xinxiu Station to Chiwan Station.

For those who don’t turn into a proverbial pumpkin at midnight, there’s still other trains. All the same, we wish everyone a happy holidays, and to get home safe.

Photo: hangzhou

Tagged: ChristmasHolidaysMetroShenzhen MetroSubway

Hong Kong’s MTR to Expand for First Time in Years

Posted: 12/12/2014 11:40 am

It’s not quite all the way to Lamma Island, but it’s a start.

Hong Kong’s newest subway extension may not be very long, but connects a vital and historic neighbourhood with the rest of Hong Kong island.

The MTR Corporation announced that the West Island Line will open on December 28. It will extend train service westward from Sheung Wan Station to the western end of Hong Kong Island and will make stops at Hong Kong University (HKU) Station and Kennedy Town Station.

The construction of a third station, Sai Ying Pun, is behind schedule but expected to be operational by February 15.

Train service from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town is expected to take five minutes for the three kilometer journey.

HKU Station is expected to serve as a transfer station to a future expansion called the South Island Line. This expansion will be separated into two separate but interconnected lines that will start at HKU and ring through the island to connect with the Island Line at Admiralty.

This weekend, the MTR will open HKU Station and Kennedy Town station for public tours. Tickets can be obtained from Central and Western district council.

Here are two reference maps that show how the West Island Line will fit in with the future Island Line.

To take a glimpse at what the entire future Hong Kong subway system may look like, click here.

Photos: Wikipedia (2), sznews

Tagged: Hong KongHong Kong MTRMetropublic transportationSubway

Woman in Beijing Killed When Trapped Between Subway Safety Doors and Train Doors

Posted: 11/7/2014 11:09 am

Increased crowds on the Beijing subway are being blamed for the death of a woman when she became trapped between the platform safety doors and train doors when the train pulled out of the station.

It happened yesterday at 7:05pm at Huixinxijie Nankou Station on the Beijing Metro Line 5, which is a busy interchange station with Line 10.

Eyewitness Miss Zhou described what she saw:

A woman was trapped between the safety doors and the doors to the train. She was stuck there as the subway began to move. After the train left the station, the woman fell to the platform.

The 33-year old Hebei woman was taken to hospital where the doctor on duty said the woman had a pulse and was breathing. The doctor said the woman had no visible injuries at first glance, but suffered from bruising and broken bones:

“Her chest had become all soft, so it is evident that she was trapped by the doors in that spot.”

She died of her injuries in hospital.

A similar incident happened a few years ago in Shanghai, when a young woman was also trapped between the doors as the train started moving. Eyewitnesses on the platform described the scene as harrowing.

There are more people riding the subway in Beijing this week because of car restrictions related to the APEC summit.

Photos: People’s Daily Online, China Daily, Yangcheng Evening Report

Tagged: AccidentBeijingDeathMetroMetro accidentSubwaysubway accident

No More Free Rides: Expats “Lose Face” Trying to Sneak Bikes onto Beijing Metro

Posted: 10/31/2014 9:15 am

It seemed there was a time when expats in China could do almost anything and get away with it. And while there may be still be a double-standard with regard to certain issues, one thing is for sure: expats aren’t allowed to take bicycles on the Beijing Metro anymore.

Three men identified as “laowai” were attempting to enter Dawanglu Station on October 29 at 10:10pm when they were barred from entering by staff at the security checkpoint, reports Sina. When that didn’t work, the trio tried to enter the station by using the exit channel, where they were again refused entry.

The Beijing Metro confirms passengers with over-sized packages such as bicycles are not allowed to take the train. Before angrily exchanging words and leaving, the expats were told by a station employee to ”not lose face for your country”.

Regardless of whether or not you value the concept of face, we’d urge all expats in China to refrain from bringing their bicycles on the Beijing Metro.

Photos: Southern Capital Report, Sina News

Tagged: BeijingbicyclesExpatsMetroSecuritySubway

Beijing Subway to Get More Expensive, You Can Choose by How Much

Posted: 10/13/2014 3:56 pm

The proposal last year to raise the long-established flat fare of RMB 2 for the Beijing subway kick-started a public crisis. Beijing residents complained mercilessly about the unfairness of the raise, citing issues like the poverty gap, traffic gridlock, and urban sprawl.

Now, in a display of openness, Beijing has publicly shared details about the upcoming fare change that includes a choice of different pricing plans.

A flat fare system will not be used for both buses and subways. Instead, a meter system will calculate the cost of each individual commuter’s trip based on the distance traveled, similar to the metro systems in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

An average subway fare is expected to cost between RMB 4.3 to 4.4, while the average bus fare should range between RMB 1.3 to 1.5.

public transportation card beijing subway bus

There will also be discounts for frequent commuters. Those who spend RMB 100 a month on public transportation will receive a 20 percent discount, while those who spend RMB 150 a month will receive 50 percent off.

A number of different pricing plans are being shown to the public to see which one is most palatable. Here’s the first option for the subway:

the first 3 kilometers of a trip costs RMB 2
an additional 3-6 kilometers will cost an additional RMB 3
for a 6-18 kilometer trip, each 6 kilometers (discounting the previously mentioned base amount) will cost an additional RMB 1
for an 18-42 kilometer trip, each 12 kilometers (discounting the previously mentioned base amount) will cost an additional RMB 1
for trips over 42km, each 18 kilometers (discounting the previously mentioned base amount) will cost an additional RMB 1
there is no upper limit on how high a fare can get

Here’s the second option:

the first 6 kilometers of a trip costs RMB 3
a trip lasting 6-12 kilometers will cost RMB 4
for trips between 12-32 kilometers, there is an additional RMB 1 for each 10 kilometers (discounting the previously mentioned base amount)
for trips over 32km, there is an additional RMB 1 for each additional 20 kilometers (discounting the previously mentioned base amount)
there is no upper limit on how high a fare can get

And if you don’t know what you’re paying for, here’s what riding the Beijing subway looks like:

Photos: iFeng, Beijing Youth Report (2)

Tagged: BeijingfaresMetropublic transportation

Guangzhou’s Subway Map To Soon Look Like Tokyo’s

Posted: 09/17/2014 6:07 pm

To call this tentative plan for the 2018 combined subway systems of Guangzhou and Foshan ”ambitious” would be to describe “humongous” as “partially hefty”.

By 2018, the Guangzhou and Foshan subway systems will have seven interchange stations, Foshan will boast a total of eight subway lines, and Guangzhou will have a staggering 23.

To put things in perspective, the Guangzhou Metro currently has nine lines whereas Foshan only has one.

This map shows lines that are planned for construction and those currently being developed. As reported by the Zhujiang Times, not all lines are 100 percent confirmed. (Click here for a high resolution map)

Guangzhou has three new lines currently being developed in conjunction with the extension of three existing lines, while Foshan is working on two new lines with one line extended.

The 2018 map is very similar to the “long-term plan” posted by the Urban Planning Bureau of Guangzhou back in 2010. (Seen above; click here for the high resolution version)

We’ll have to note that completed subway lines 2 through 8 for the Foshan Metro are actually scheduled for 2020 and beyond, so it doesn’t look like everything will be in place by 2018. In any case, you’d better charge up your cellphone for some serious subway commuting in the near future.

Photos: Zhujiang Times, Wikipedia

Tagged: Metropublic transportationSubwaysupercity

Look Out: Perverts Using Crazy New Ways To Take Nefarious Upskirt Pics

Posted: 06/23/2014 8:22 pm

When the weather heats up and people wear fewer layers of clothing, you can bet the perverts will come out of the woodwork.

The most recent case of sexual deviancy reported in the Pearl River Delta took place on June 19 in Nanping, Zhuhai. A woman browsing in a book store became suspicious when a man kept following her, trying to slide his right foot under her dress. When police confronted the man, it was discovered he had a cell phone hidden in his sandal and was trying to take upskirt photos with it.

READ: Pervert Caught at GZ Metro Station Snapping Upskirt Pics

Another news report documented an incident on May 26 when a passenger on the Guangzhou Metro named Ah Cheng spotted a pervert. Upon getting on Line 1, Ah Cheng noticed a man peering at a cell phone while standing next to a woman in a crowded train, and became suspicious. Ah Cheng noticed the man was holding a shopping bag with his other hand and was trying to maneuver it underneath the skirt of a woman that was standing next to him. Ah Cheng moved to confront the man.

It what appeared to be an impromptu cell phone photo of the pervert in action (seen above) has now become a full video with multiple angles that also appears to star Ah Cheng himself:

guangzhou subway pervert camera upskirt

READ: Woman Forbidden from Wearing Anti-Pervert Shoes onto Plane

Elsewhere in China, six sex perverts in Fujian Province were tried and convicted on June 4 for using a camera to spy on unsuspecting victims. The group had set up cameras in the women’s bathroom of the local university where they had taken some 40,000 pictures.

But the most sensational method of taking pervert pics involved the use of a cane with a spy camera. As reported by the People’s Daily, a nefarious man employed demonstrated the dastardly trick at a car show, revealing to the audience how it’s properly done.

READ: Factory in Dongguan Puts Cameras in the Bathrooms to Catch Smokers

The report also revealed that 10 seconds of footage is somehow worth RMB 500-1000.

Pornography is illegal in China. While R-rated movies with brutal violence are regularly broadcast on weekend mornings and afternoons, nudity has yet to appear on national television, making its broadcast a more private affair.

Tagged: camera toiletHidden CamerasMetroPervertSexsexual harrassment

[Photos] Record-Breaking Holiday Crowds In Guangdong

Posted: 06/3/2014 3:46 pm

Did you spend this past Dragon Boat holiday festival at home, doing nothing? Well, it wasn’t entirely spent in vain because you were in fact doing something—avoiding the huge crowds that clogged transportation routes and tourist destinations throughout Guangdong.

Shenzhen traffic police reported that traffic for access routes to Daxiao Meisha and Dapeng were congested with “rush hour conditions” for ten hours from June 1 until yesterday morning. 256,000 cars were said to have been involved in a traffic jam 14 kilometers long.

720,000 commuters took the Guangzhou Metro on June 2, a 15% rise from last year. May 31 was also a traffic heavy day with 650,000 commuters.

dameisha beach dragon boat festival holiday weekend guangdong people crowds

But getting there is only half the fun; just ask the record-breaking 16,000 visitors that descended upon Dameisha Seaside Public Park. The only reason so many people would choose to crowd together so densely must be because they obviously enjoy each other’s company, like so:

All of this price came at a cost, however. A closer look at the swarms of holiday-goers revealed a grubbier side:

However, crowds don’t always have negative connotations, especially when everyone’s favorite endangered species-a la commodity of cuteness made a mass appearance at the Canton Tower in Guangzhou: canton tower panda

Oh, endangered panda: you’ll never over-populate us with the cuddleness you provide!

Photo: Shenzhen Evening Report via Weibo (2), China Daily via Weibo, Shenzhen Traffic Police via Weibo, China Guangzhou Information Dissemintation via Weibo, Guangzhou Daily via Weibo

Tagged: Canton TowerCrowdedDameisha beachhighwayMetropandaSubwayTraffic JamsTravel

Beijing Metro Security Like “Going Through Airport Customs”

Posted: 05/27/2014 1:01 pm

beijing subway security check

Security has been dramatically tightened up in Beijing.

Today, the usual subway security check no longer involves just “putting your bags through”, as commuters now have to be checked as though they are going through airport customs.

This was the scene at Beijing’s Tiantongyuan North Station at the terminus of Line 5 this morning:

beijing subway security check

Photos: Weibo

Tagged: BeijingMetroSecuritySecurity GuardsSubwayterrorism

New Speedy Railway to Connect Guangzhou South Station and the Airport

Posted: 05/22/2014 12:06 pm

A proposed railway is promising to allow commuters to travel from Guangzhou South Railway Station to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in just 35 minutes.

Announced yesterday in a move to strengthen transportation links between the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan, the new railway line will allow trains to travel at a maximum 200 km/h and will have a total length of 59.44 km.

The new line is planned to have 11 stations including stops in Dashi, Lijiao, Pazhou Convention Center, Tianhe Passenger Terminal, Taihe, Zhuliao, before finally terminating at Guangzhou airport terminals 1, 2 and 3.

While the groundbreaking ceremony to build the new T2 took place back in Aug, 2012, no building date has been confirmed for terminal 3.

It currently takes commuters over an hour to reach the airport from Guangzhou South Railway Station. Commuters need to travel on Line 2 for a total of 23 stops, and then transfer to Line 3 and travel an additional three stops.

Ultimately, the plan is to connect the transportation hubs of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the Guangzhou South Railway Station, Guangzhou North Railway Station, and Foshan West Railway Station. This route will be have a total length of 158 km, and consist of 14 stations.

The government is currently accepting bids for the construction process.

In other transportation infrastructure news, a proposal to widen the Guangzhou Bridge has been approved. The plan will see the bridge increased from six to ten lanes, and should facilitate traffic to move at a maximum speed of 60km/h. As well, noise barriers will be built for the 237 nearby communities currently affected by noise from the traffic.

And now, the bad news: the construction is expected to last two years.

Photo: iMetro

Tagged: airport expressFoshanGuangzhou Baiyun AirportGuangzhou subwayMetroSubway

The Nanfang / Blog

Metro

Shenzhen Metro to Extend Holiday Service for Christmas, New Year’s

Hong Kong’s MTR to Expand for First Time in Years

Woman in Beijing Killed When Trapped Between Subway Safety Doors and Train Doors

No More Free Rides: Expats “Lose Face” Trying to Sneak Bikes onto Beijing Metro

Beijing Subway to Get More Expensive, You Can Choose by How Much

Guangzhou’s Subway Map To Soon Look Like Tokyo’s

Look Out: Perverts Using Crazy New Ways To Take Nefarious Upskirt Pics

[Photos] Record-Breaking Holiday Crowds In Guangdong

Beijing Metro Security Like “Going Through Airport Customs”

New Speedy Railway to Connect Guangzhou South Station and the Airport

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