Fairgoers now have quick access to the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in Bao’an District for the ongoing 23rd China Hi-Tech Fair as Phase I of Line 20, the city’s first driverless Metro line, was put into operation at 4:28 p.m. yesterday.
Visitors to the center can make exit from C1 and C2 at Guozhan Station and C1 and C2 at Guozhan North Station, according to the line operator Shenzhen Metro.
The 8.43-kilometer section connects the center with Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and has five stations, including three interchange stations.
Passengers can transfer to Line 11 and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway at Airport North Station.
During its early run, Line 20’s eight-carriage trains operate between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. with 7-minute intervals during rush hours and 9-minute intervals during off-peak hours. A single trip takes 13 minutes, according to the company.
“The operator will constantly adjust the train timetable according to the passenger flow distribution,” Wang Ji, head of Guozhan North Station, said at an interview yesterday.
At each station’s service center, ticket vending machines are available for fee charging and information inquiry, such as navigation and transfer guidance, through facial recognition and vocal interaction. Facial recognition technology is also used at turnstiles.
Passengers need to register to authorize using facial recognition at ticket dispensers before using the service.
Line 20’s operation brings the city’s total number of in-service Metro lines to 12, which cover a total length of 419 kilometers with 288 stations.
Line 20, dubbed as the demonstration line of technologies, adopts the communication-based train autonomous control system (TACS), which helps improve railway transportation efficiency and safety.
TACS ensures safe rail operation using data communication between various control points that make up the system.
It uses an off-board computer to monitor all trains running on tracks by sending information to computers aboard the trains, which allows trains to be spaced closer together compared to a manually controlled line.
The trains can “wake up,” go to and come out of its depots, “sleep,” automatically open and close doors, and detect obstacles to avoid collisions and derailments.
Metro Line 20’s full line is expected to run 50.6 kilometers linking the districts of Bao’an and Futian, allowing people from Bao’an to reach Futian CBD within 45 minutes and to the border area with Hong Kong within 60 minutes.
In another development, Lines 12 and 14 will be put into operation before the end of 2022, according to Shenzhen Metro Group.
The 40.54-kilometer Line 12 will link Zuopaotai Station in Nanshan District with Waterland Resort in Bao’an District, passing Nanshan CBD, Bao’an CBD, Fuyong Area, and the area around the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center.
The 50.34-kilometer Line 14 will run from Gangxia North Station in Futian District to the Shenzhen-Huizhou border, passing Luohu and Longgang districts. It will be the first Metro Line in Pingshan District.
By the end of 2022, Shenzhen Metro network’s total length will exceed 500 kilometers.