page_title: Shanghai Metro
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Shanghai Metro / History
caption_attribution_description: English: time lapse evolution of the shanghai metro
context_page_description: The Shanghai Metro is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, operating urban and suburban transit services to 14 of its 16 municipal districts and to Huaqiao Town, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. Opening in 1993 with full-scale construction extending back to 1986, the Shanghai Metro is the third-oldest rapid transit system in mainland China, after the Beijing Subway and the Tianjin Metro. It has seen substantial growth, significantly during the years leading up to the Expo 2010, and is still expanding quickly, with its most recent expansions having opened in December 2018. It is the biggest component of the Shanghai metropolitan rail transit network, together with the Shanghai maglev train, the Zhangjiang Tram, the Songjiang Tram and the China Railway-operated commuter rail services to Jinshan. The metro system is also integrated with other forms of public transport in Shanghai.
  The Shanghai Metro system is the world's second biggest metro system by route length after the Beijing Subway, totaling 676 kilometres. It is also the second biggest by the number of stations with 414 stations on 16 lines. It ranks second in the world by annual ridership with 3.71 billion rides delivered in 2018.
context_section_description: May 28, 1993 – Southern section of Line 1 (Shanghai South Railway Station – Xujiahui) enters operation (4.4 km or 2.7 mi).
  April 10, 1995 – Line 1 (Jinjiang Park – Shanghai Railway Station; including initial section, which opened 1993) enters operation  (16.1 km or 10.0 mi).
  December 28, 1996 – Southern extension to Line 1 (Xinzhuang – Jinjiang Park) enters operation (4.5 km or 2.8 mi).
  September 20, 1999 – Line 2 (Zhongshan Park – Longyang Road) enters operation (16.3 km or 10.1 mi).
  December 27, 2000 – The eastern extension to Line 2 (Longyang Road – Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park) (2.8 km or 1.7 mi) and Line 3 (Shanghai South Railway Station – Jiangwan Town) (24.6 km or 15.3 mi) open.
  November 25, 2003 – Line 5 (Xinzhuang – Minhang Development Zone) enters operation (17.2 km or 10.7 mi).
  December 28, 2004 – Northern extension to Line 1 (Shanghai Railway Station – Gongfu Xincun) enters operation (12.4 km or 7.7 mi).
  December 31, 2005 – Line 4 enters operation, except the section between Lancun Road and Damuqiao Road that was delayed due to a construction accident.
  December 18, 2006 – Northern extension to Line 3 (Jiangwan Town – North Jiangyang Road) enters operation (15.7 km or 9.8 mi).
  December 30, 2006 – Western extension to Line 2 (Songhong Road – Zhongshan Park) enters operation (6.15 km or 3.82 mi).
  December 29, 2007 – Five lines or sections enter operation on the same day:
  Second northern extension to Line 1 (Gongfu Xincun – Fujin Road) (3.4 km or 2.1 mi)
  Delayed section of Line 4 (Lancun Road – Damuqiao Road), completing the loop.
  Line 6 (Gangcheng Road – South Lingyan Road) (31.1 km or 19.3 mi)
  Line 8 (Shiguang Road – Yaohua Road)
  Line 9 (Songjiang Xincheng – Guilin Road)
  December 28, 2008 – Line 9 is extended from Guilin Road to Yishan Road, connecting with the rest of the metro network.
  July 5, 2009 – Southern extension to Line 8 (Yaohua Road – Shendu Highway) enters operation (14.4 km or 8.9 mi).
  December 5, 2009 – Line 7 (Shanghai University – Huamu Road) enters operation (34.4 km or 21.4 mi).
  December 31, 2009 – The downtown section of Line 9 (Yishan Road – Century Avenue) and the first section of Line 11 (Jiangsu Road – North Jiading) open.
  February 24, 2010 – Short section of eastern extension of Line 2 (Longyang Road – Guanglan Road) enters operation.  Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park station is rebuilt underground.
  March 16, 2010 – Second western extension to Line 2 (East Xujing – Songhong Road) enters operation, connecting Hongqiao Airport to the metro system.
  March 29, 2010 – Branch line of Line 11 (Jiading Xincheng – Anting) enters operation.
  April 7, 2010 - Middle Yanggao Road  opens on line 9.
  April 8, 2010 – Eastern extension to Line 2 (Guanglan Road – Pudong International Airport) enters operation, connecting the two airports.
  April 10, 2010 – Line 10 (Xinjiangwancheng – Hangzhong Road) enters operation. Shanghai Metro becomes the longest metro system in the world after 15 years of breakneck growth.
  April 20, 2010 – Expo section of Line 13 (Madang Road – Shibo Avenue) enters temporary operation.
  July 1, 2010 – with the opening of Hongqiao railway station, its metro station of the same name on Line 2 enters operation.
  November 2, 2010 – With the end of the Shanghai Expo, the Expo section of Line 13 suspends service, to be reopened when the rest of the line is completed.
  November 30, 2010 – Section of Line 10 (Longxi Road – Hongqiao Railway Station) enters operation, connecting the two terminals of Hongqiao Airport.
  December 28, 2010 – The 10-km long northern extension to Line 7 (Shanghai University – Meilan Lake) enters operation.
  April 12, 2011 – Oriental Sports Center station opens
  April 26, 2011 – Line 11 East Changji Road station opens.
  June 30, 2011 – Panguang Road and Liuhang Stations on Line 7 open.
  September 28, 2012 – China Art Museum station on Line 8 opens.
  December 30, 2012 – The southern extension of Line 9 (Songjiang South Railway Station – Songjiang Xincheng) opens and the first phase of Line 13 (Jinyun Road – Jinshajiang Road) opens as well.
  June 15, 2013 – South Qilianshan Road station on Line 
caption: Evolution of the Shanghai Metro