Lingang Medium Transport Volume
Two Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit vehicles parked together in Shanghai, China
Two CRRC DRT vehicles at Feidu Road stop in 2023. Note that there are no physical tracks on the roadway.
Overview
Native nameChinese: 临港新片区中运量系统
Area served
Transit typeRapid transit system
Number of lines3
Line numberLines 1–3
Number of stations26
Operation
Began operation30 June 2021
Operator(s)Shanghai Lingang Public Transport Company (临港公交)
Technical
System length47.95 km (29.79 mi)
Top speed70 km/h (43 mph)

The Lingang Medium Transport Volume (Chinese: 临港中运量; pinyin: Lín gǎng zhōng yùn liàng), also known as Lingang Digital-rail Rapid Transit (Lingang DRT), is a rapid transit system operating within Lingang in Pudong District, Shanghai, China. It started operations on 30 June 2021, and is operated by the Shanghai Lingang Public Transport Company (Chinese: 上海临港公共交通有限公司, abbreviated in Chinese as 临港公交). The system operates as an Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system, but conventional bus rapid transit-specification buses currently run on the system too.

The Lingang DRT is the third modern street rail system in Shanghai after the Zhangjiang and Songjiang Trams and the first ART system in the city. It is also the world's first ART to make use of digital rail-guided rubber-tired vehicles, which rely on magnetic guiding systems as opposed to other ART systems which are optically guided.[1][2][3]

Lines

The Lingang DRT consists of the following lines:

  • Line 1 (Chinese: 临港中运量1号线), which runs between Dishui Lake station and Hongyin Plaza. It started operations on 30 June 2021.[4]
  • Line 2 (Chinese: 临港中运量2号线), which runs in a loop originating from Dishui Lake station, via Lingang Avenue station, Shengang Avenue and Meirenjiao Road before returning to Dishui Lake. It started operations on 28 November 2022.[5]
  • Line 3 (Chinese: 临港中运量3号线), which was originally known as T6,[6] runs between Feidu Road station along the route of Line 1 and Caoxuan Road in Fengxian District. It started operations on 5 July 2023.[7]

Prior to 1 July 2023, both lines 1 and 2 charged a flat fare of 2RMB. However, as of that date, the lines are free of charge, with the date of resumption of fare collection to be announced.[7]

History

Plans for a rapid transit system went as far back as 2012, when Sun Jianping, then-chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, announced plans to construct multiple modes of rapid transit systems, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and trams in a number of regions, including Shanghai Corniche, Songjiang, Lingang and Hongqiao Business District.[8] A tram system within Lingang was initially announced in 2013, however there were no announcements following that.[9]

In 2016, initial plans to build a medium capacity transit system in Lingang was announced, with the ability to be converted to a large capacity system.[10] This was followed by an announcement that the system will have five lines, all of which are able to connect with Metro Line 16, totalling 82 kilometres (51 mi) in May 2018, after which the number of lines was increased to six with a length of 115 kilometres (71 mi) in April 2020.[11]

In July 2020, the possibility of a digital rail-guided rapid transit system was raised, and this was implemented shortly afterwards.[12] Construction for the first line, Line 1, started in August, with plans to use electricity-powered cars with the possibility of changing to hydrogen-powered ones later.[13] Line 1 began test operations on 1 January 2021, with Vice Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Government and Vice Director of Lingang Special Area Zhu Zhisong announcing the official departure of the first test run.[2] Line 1 eventually opened to the public on 30 June 2021.[4]

Construction for the second line, Line 2, commenced in late 2021. Originally scheduled to start operations in the first half of 2022, the opening date was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing for Line 2 began in August 2022, and the line commenced operations on 28 November 2022. The vehicles used on Line 1 are powered by hydrogen, the first such line to do so. Line 2 initially ran between Dishui Lake Metro station and Shuihua Road.[5]

On 1 April 2023, operations were transferred from Lingang Rapid Transit (Chinese: 临港捷运) to Lingang Public Transport (Chinese: 临港公交). Both companies are subsidiaries of Lingang Investment Holdings Group.[14]

The routes of both lines 1 and 2 were amended on 1 July 2023. Under this amendment, Line 1 stops at additional stops, while Line 2 is now running as a loop with the terminus located at Dishui Lake station.[15] On the same day, Sunwin iEV12 electric buses of BRT specifications entered service. These buses have doors on both sides to cater to normal roadside bus stops and stops built for the system at the middle of the road.[16]

Line 3, which was originally named line 6, began operations on 5 July 2023.[7]

Stations

The following is a list of stations along each route of the system:[15]

Line 1

Station Name Transfer Notes
English Chinese
Dishui Lake 滴水湖  16  (Dishui Lake station)

Line 2
West Huanhu Road No.3 at Lingang Avenue (Shanghai Astronomy Museum) 环湖西三路临港大道（上海天文馆） Line 2 New stop from 1 July 2023[15]
East Shengang Avenue (Youth Activity Center) 申港大道东（青少年活动中心）
Guzong Road (Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East) 古棕路（临港六院）
Meirenjiao Road (Lingang Center) 美人蕉路（临港中心）
Shangyuan Road 上元路
Ganlan Road 橄榄路
Shuihua Road 水华路 New stop from 1 July 2023[15]
Ganghui Road 港辉路
Feidu Road 飞渡路 Line 3 New stop from 1 July 2023[15]
Yunduan Road 云端路
Pengping Road 彭平路
Hongyin Plaza 鸿音广场

Line 2

Station Name Transfer Notes
English Chinese
Dishui Lake 滴水湖  16  (Dishui Lake station)

Line 1
West Huanhu Road No.3 at Lingang Avenue (Shanghai Astronomy Museum) 环湖西三路临港大道（上海天文馆） Line 1
East Shengang Avenue (Youth Activity Center) 申港大道东（青少年活动中心）
Guzong Road (Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital East) 古棕路（临港六院）
Meirenjiao Road (Lingang Center) 美人蕉路（临港中心）
Shangyuan Road 上元路
Shengang Avenue 申港大道 New stop from 1 July 2023[15]
Qiqing Road 杞青路
Lingang Avenue 临港大道  16  (Lingang Avenue station)
Lingang Avenue at West Huanhu Road No. 3 (Shanghai Astronomy Museum) 临港大道环湖西三路（上海天文馆）
Dishui Lake 滴水湖  16  (Dishui Lake station)

Line 1

Line 3

Station Name Transfer Notes
English Chinese
Feidu Road 飞渡路 Line 1
Zhengjia Road 正嘉路 At the boundary of Pudong and Fengxian districts
Xinyang Highway 新杨公路
Xueliu Road 雪柳路
Caoxuan Road 草萱路

Fleet

A single-decker bus in Shanghai, China
A Sunwin iEV12 bus on Line 1.

Prior to their amendments on 1 July 2023, line 1 used electric Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit vehicles, bearing a modified version of the livery used on regular Lingang Public Transport buses, while line 2 used a hydrogen-powered vehicle with a brown livery.[4][5] These vehicles are built by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen, and have three carriages with each carriage having one door on each side, totalling three doors per side. Each car has a length of 30 meters, and are capable of carrying 300 passengers, which is around the capacity of three to four regular public buses.[4]

However, since the aforementioned date, both lines 1 and 2 have begun using Sunwin iEV12 (exact model designation: SWB6129BEV95G) buses as their fleet. These buses have doors on both sides, similar to the Yutong E12s used for the branch lines of the Yan'an Road Medium Capacity Bus Transit System.[16]

Line 3 uses vehicles that are similar in specifications to line 2, but with a green livery instead of brown.[6][7]

Reception

The system has been noted by Shanghai media Wenhui Bao as one of the successes for the exportation of the DRT technology to foreign countries. In April 2023, CRRC Nanjing Puzhen began to produce DRT vehicles for lines 4, 5 and 6 of the Metrorrey system in Monterrey, Mexico.[17] The vehicles were unveiled on 29 October that year, and began a one year trial in Monterrey.[18][19]

A report by Shanghai Observer in May 2023 found that vehicles on line 1 were "unusually bumpy" and slow. According to an interviewee, a trip from the town of Nicheng to Dishui Lake, which would normally take 20 minutes by car and 40 minutes by bus, instead took over one hour by taking line 1.[20] In addition, the arrival timing display was found to be extremely inaccurate. The system has also been plagued by low ridership, with only 70 people taking one trip of line 1 at its peak, and the remaining trips averaging at less than 30 passengers. Several car lanes were converted so that they were restricted to the system only; this change of use worsened traffic around the region.[20]

During a visit to Shanghai in October 2023, Hong Kong politician Ngan Man-yu visited the Lingang DRT system. He noted that with a high capacity of 300 people, the ability to navigate mountainous terrains and remain unaffected by adverse weather conditions, a DRT system could be suitable for use on the future East Kowloon line.[21][22]

References

  1. ↑ Ruiz, Mauricio (2 November 2022). "China's trackless trams could revitalize city suburbs". Travel Tomorrow. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 "China's First DRT Commissioned at Lingang, Shanghai". www.shanghai-electric.com. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Lin-gang starts testing world-first digital tram line". China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang Special Area. 5 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Yixin, Chen. "上海临港中运量1号线首发运营，无缝衔接轨交16号线". ThePaper.cn. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Lingang Public Transportation Official WeChat Public Account. "上海临港中运量2号线今日起全线试运营". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 "浦镇公司成功中标上海临港新片区T6线车辆采购项目". CSR Nanjing Puzhen. 19 December 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "免费体验！临港中运量3号线全线开通试运营_上观新闻". JFDaily Shanghai Observer. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "上海拟推快速公交和有轨电车 松江等地均在规划_新闻台_中国网络电视台". news.cntv.cn. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "临港和世博区域或建有轨电车". China Youth Daily. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Liyan, Yu (22 June 2016). "上海规划加密临港地区轨交：新增南港线，预留机场-临港线". ThePaper.cn.
  11. ↑ "浦东临港地区规划建设5条中运量公交线 未来都能与轨交16号线实现换乘 – 周到上海". www.shxwcb.com. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "数字轨道电车将亮相临港 对接轨交16号线 全长21.75公里". People.cn. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "临港中运量T1示范线开工". Xinmin Evening News. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Lingang Investment Holdings Official WeChat Public Account. "【交通】构建"交通一张网"！临港公交今日正式运营中运量公交线". Weixin Official Accounts Platform. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jintai Zixun (金台资讯) (31 May 2023). "上海浦东临港新片区这3条公交线路拟调整、新辟". Baidu Baijiahao. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  16. 1 2 "巴士之家 on Weibo". Weibo. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  17. ↑ Fu, Xinxin (11 April 2023). "继上海临港片区成功应用后，苏州高新区智造"数轨"列车进军国际". Wenhui Bao.
  18. ↑ "浦镇造！"无轨之轨"列车，惊艳世界"朋友圈"". Yangzi Wanbao. 24 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "中车CRRC先锋浦镇 (CRRC Xianfeng Puzhen) on Weibo". Weibo. 31 October 2023.
  20. 1 2 Li, Si. "乘客少还占用专用车道？临港中运量频遭吐槽，记者实地探访真实情况". JFDaily Shanghai Observer. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  21. ↑ "顏汶羽到上海考察浦江線APM、臨港線DRT項目 冀東九龍線可參考". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 14 October 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "東九捷運研究到最後階段 顏汶羽：DRT技術成本低、不受天氣影響". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 14 September 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
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