Interpretation of the Planning and Design of Shanghai City Airport Line Project: New Speed, New Standard and New Mode
By the end of 2024, Shanghai will have completed its planned network of urban rail transit lines that are currently under construction or in the pipeline. Source: Shanghai Planning and Natural Resources Bureau website.
On December 27th, 2024, Shanghai will officially open its new urban rail transit line connecting to the airport, known as the Airport Link Line (hereinafter referred to as the “Airport Line”). This line is a backbone route in Shanghai’s urban rail transit network that runs from west to east, connecting the city’s major transportation hubs including two airports and three railway stations, and has a significant impact on Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta railway transportation.
On January 6th, 2025, Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as “SMEDRI”) elaborated on the planning and design features of the Airport Line to The Paper newspaper (www.thepaper.cn). SMEDRI, in collaboration with China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group, has undertaken the integrated work of survey and design for this project as a joint venture.
According to the “Shanghai City Master Plan (2017-2035)”, Shanghai plans to form a total of 22 urban rail transit lines, including 9 radial and 13 connecting lines, covering over 1000 kilometers. The Airport Line is the first newly built urban rail transit project, while four other urban rail transit lines including the Nanhui Branch Line, Jiaming Line, Shifang Line, and Nanfeng Line are currently under construction.
According to SMEDRI, compared to traditional urban rail transit and intercity rail services, the Airport Line has achieved innovation in terms of speed, standards, and modes. Multiple engineering projects have set new records for Shanghai’s underground construction, and the line has created a new station layout nationwide that features co-line operation, same-platform乘车, mixed entry and exit, and partitioned waiting areas.
New Speed
The Airport Line starts from the Hongqiao Magnetic Levitation Station reserved within the Hongqiao Integrated Traffic Hub. It mainly follows the沪杭客运专线east side, the north side of Chunshen Pond, and the south side of the Outer Ring Highway, passes through Pudong International Airport, and terminates at the Shanghai East Station urban area.
The line passes through three administrative areas of闵行,徐汇and Pudong New Area. The total length of the line is 68.6 kilometers, with 9 stations including Hongqiao Terminal 2 Station, Zhongchun Road Station, Jinghong Road Station, Sanlin South Station, Kangqiao East Station, Shanghai International Tourism Resort Station, Pudong Airport Terminal 1 and 2 Station, Pudong Terminal 3 Station, and Shanghai East Station. The initial opening section will be from Hongqiao Terminal 2 Station to Pudong Airport Terminal 1 and 2 Station, covering a total of 7 stations, including 5 underground stations and 2 ground stations.
In terms of operating speed, the Airport Line trains can reach a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour, far exceeding the speed of conventional subways. It is another major breakthrough for Shanghai urban rail transit and has the characteristics of long distance between stations due to its large length. It can satisfy the requirement of reaching from Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Airport within 40 minutes.
Through the connection with the urban rail transit network and intercity rail network, Shanghai’s 1-hour commuting circle is further formed. The Airport Line enhances Pudong’s radiation and service functions in the Yangtze River Delta region, plays a leading role in driving the development of Shanghai as a central city in the metropolitan area, and promotes the integration of Shanghai with other cities in the Yangtze River Delta.
New Standard
Unlike traditional urban rail transit and intercity rail services, the Airport Line has set new standards by adopting new technologies such as C-type vehicles for urban areas and adopting CTCS2+ATO train operation control systems for the first time. The C-type vehicles for urban areas are developed based on the technology and platform of smart bullet trains, realizing deep integration of high-speed rail and rail transit technology requirements and meeting high standards for safety, comfort, and flexibility to improve operational efficiency and passenger comfort.
The CTCS2+ATO train control system deeply integrates CTCS2 train control technology with ATO automatic train operation technology from urban rail transit. CTCS2 can meet interconnection and cross-line operation with national railways while ATO automatic train operation technology can support a 3-minute train interval for better public transport operation efficiency.
Regarding its functional positioning, SMEDRI stated that the Airport Line is a backbone route within Shanghai’s urban rail transit network connecting two major transportation hubs – Hongqiao and Pudong – as well as major areas within the city center to facilitate quick connections between these areas. It also provides connections to other major railway stations in Shanghai such as
