Wuhan Metro

Evolution of the Wuhan Metro

Preliminary studies of urban rail transit systems were prompted by the city shortly after a Belgian Railways delegation visit in 1984. Following the demolition of the old Beijing-Hankou Railway, the city of Wuhan planned to utilize the corridor to construct the city's first rapid transit rail line. In September 1992, the Wuhan Metro Construction Group was established by Wuhan Municipal Construction Commission and a supervision group, led by the mayor Qian Yunlu, was subsequently formed in 1993 to facilitate the project's funding, planning, logistics, and organization. It took seven years before the city was able to fund construction.

In October 1999, the National Planning Commission (predecessor of the National Development and Reform Commission) approved the Wuhan "Light Rail" project (Line 1, phase 1), signalling the start of serious work on the rail transit project. On October 2, 2000, the Wuhan Municipal Government ratified the establishment of Wuhan Rail Transit Co., Ltd., and contracted construction, operation, administration and related real estate development to the corporation.

In December 2000, the National Planning Commission accepted a feasibility report on the project and approved construction on phase 1 of Line 1. On December 23, 2000, the project broke ground and comprehensive construction began.

In 2002, with the anticipation of an economic boom and increasing demand for urban rail transit, Wuhan Municipal Government approved the city's first long-term rail transit master plan. On July 28, 2004, the ten-station long "light rail" line was opened to the public and entered revenue service in August. However, low ridership discouraged the city from funding the extension project, for which ground had been broken on December 15, 2005, and a 4-year delay in construction ensued. In April 2006, the NDRC ratified a six-year construction/operation plan, but it was not until a year later on April 9, 2007, that NDRC accepted the feasibility report for line 1, phase 2 (the extension project) and approved construction on the project.

In the interim, construction began on Fanhu station of the fully underground Line 2 on November 16, 2006, as a response to the six-year plan adopted by NDRC earlier. Construction also began on the underground line 4 stations of Wuchang railway station in June, and Wuhan railway station in September, as parts of the integral capital project to revamp and construct the Wuhan Railway Hub.

In May 2007, the Hubei Provincial Development and Reform Commission (HDRC) approved preliminary designs on Line 1, phase 2, and comprehensive construction subsequently commenced in June. On May 15, the city government approved the establishment of Wuhan Metro Group Co., Ltd., which would replace the Wuhan Rail Transit Co., Ltd and assume its responsibilities and benefits.

On September 12, 2007, the NDRC accepted the feasibility report to Line 2, phase 1, and preliminary designs were approved by the HDRC in December 2007. However, it was not until September 2008 that land purchases and funding were facilitated and comprehensive construction began to take place. In October 2009, drilling of the Yangtze River tunnel started.

On March 13, 2009, the NDRC accepted a feasibility report to Line 4, phase 1. On May 13, 2009, the HDRC ratified preliminary designs on Line 4, phase 1. Comprehensive construction ensued on the Wuchang segment of Line 4. A more ambitious urban rapid transit plan was submitted for NDRC review in October 2009, and in late November, on-site panel investigations were conducted by China International Engineering Consulting Corporation.

In February 2010, Wuhan Metro's first commercial property was topped out in Hanxi 1st Road station. On July 29, Line 1 phase 2 entered revenue service from Dijiao to Dongwu Boulevard. Despite plans to extend the westernmost terminus to Jinshan Avenue in Dongxihu District, the station was never built. A short stub with crossover tracks was constructed behind Dongwu Boulevard. Zhuyehai, a station in Qiaokou District, remained non-operational in spite of the existence of complete platforms. Neither exits nor staircases had been built yet. It was due to open when the Wuhan IKEA store was completed in late 2014.[6]

A revised and more detailed construction plan was accepted by the NDRC on January 31, 2011. The plan specified the city's plan to complete construction on Line 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 before 2017. Beginning on March 1, Line 1 subdivided its fare zones from 3 to 5 and lowered maximum fare per ride from 5 CNY to 4 CNY. Wuhan Tong cardholders will receive a 20 percent discount on single ride fares.[7] On April 9, Line 1 welcomed its 100,000,000th customer, who was awarded a one-year pass to the Metro.[8] On September 9, preliminary designs on Line 4, phase 2 (Hanyang segment) was approved by HDRC.

On February 17, 2012, the NDRC accepted a feasibility report on Line 3, phase 1, the fourth line in Wuhan Metro's grid and the first to cross the Han River, connecting the boroughs of Hankou and Hanyang. A feasibility report to Line 6—the second Hankou-Hanyang connection—was also approved by the NDRC on December 21, 2012. Seven days later, Line 2 entered revenue service, connecting some of the most populated areas of Hankou, Wuchang, and the Optics Valley.

On April 12, 2013, the NDRC granted acceptance to a feasibility report of Line 8, phase 1, which connects Hankou and Wuchang via the Second Yangtze River Bridge corridor. Construction began in June 2013 and was completed in December 2017.

Wuhan Metro requests passengers to wear masks throughout their journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 23 January 2020, the entire metro network was shut down, along with all other public transport in the city, including national railway and air travel, in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei.[9][10]

On 28 March 2020, six lines (Line 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) resumed operations, after a two-month lockdown.[11] On 8 April 2020, Line 8 Phase 1 resumed operations.[12] On 22 April 2020, Line 8 Phase 3, Line 11, Yangluo line resumed operations.[13]

Wuhan Metro Line 1 is the first one equipped with moving block system in China.[37] All the lines are equipped with CBTC. A fully automated, driverless train system (GoA4), provided by Traffic Control Technology Corporation Limited, has been applied to Line 5 since 26 December 2021.[38][39]

Since 2012, the ridership of the entire network has grown as the new lines or sections come into operation every year. The following data were released by the Wuhan Statistics Bureau, however, the data before 2007 are unavailable. The sudden drop in ridership in 2020 was due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in China, with Hubei, and Wuhan specifically being the worst affected area in China.

Wuhan Metro future expansion diagram

A number of lines are under construction. Line 12 will be a loop line.[55] Line 9, 10, as well as Line 13, are being planned by the municipal authority.[56]

Almost all stations, except the stations on Line 1, are equipped with platform screen doors. There is a plan that stations on Line 1 will be equipped with platform screen doors in the future.[59][60] The metro stations are equipped to be disabled and elderly friendly, with automatic fare collection system, announcement system, electronic display boards, escalators and lifts. The stations are equipped with non-slippery flooring with grip-rails, audio announcements and Braille facilities to help visually challenged passengers.

Gallery

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  Station entrance
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  Guidepost
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  The concourse of Wuhan Business District Station
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  The concourse of Huangpu Road Station, Line 8
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  The widened platform of Huangpu Road Station, Line 1
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  The platform of Pangxiejia Station, Line 7
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  Tianhe International Airport Station
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  The platform of Xujiapeng Station, Line 8
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  Transfer passage in Sanyang Road Station
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  The concourse of Matoutan Park Station
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  The concourse of Luoxiong Road Station
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  The concourse of Hanzheng Street Station
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  Continuous cross-platform transfer on Line 2 & 4

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stations of Wuhan Metro.

• Wuhan Metro rolling stock
• List of Wuhan Metro stations
• Wuhan suspended monorail
• Trams in Wuhan
• Wuhan Metro Museum
• List of metro systems
• Urban rail transit in China

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wuhan Metro.

• Official site (in Chinese)
• UrbanRail.net's page on the Wuhan Metro