Metro issues rider alert as Liuxiandong Station upgrade to begin

Metro riders are urged to board Line 5 trains at the front or rear cars at Liuxiandong Station between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1 when construction work to renovate the station will affect boarding, according to an announcement made by Shenzhen Metro Group early yesterday.

Commuters exit the platform at Liuxiandong Metro Station with assistance from Metro staff. Photos courtesy of Shenzhen Metro Group

The renovation starts tomorrow and aims to ease overcrowding and improve the passenger experience by expanding the fare-paid concourse, adding more fare gates and installing a stairway between the platform and concourse to improve passenger flow.

Service on the Line 5 platform at Liuxiandong Station will be halted earlier than usual at 10 p.m. tomorrow, and will remain closed until Jan. 26. During this period, Line 5 trains will not stop at Liuxiandong Station, with exits A, B, C and D closed. Exits E and F will remain open to serve Line 13, which interchanges with Line 5 at the station.

During the upgrade work, construction hoardings will be in place, and train cars near the hoardings will be designed as exit-only (no boarding). Trains might pass through the station without stopping during morning and evening peak hours when passenger congestion becomes severe. Passengers are asked to follow on-site guidance and travel in an orderly manner.

Preparations have been completed at Liuxiandong Metro Station for a renovation upgrade. 

Passengers are advised to plan routes in advance, and transfer at other interchange stations such as Shenzhen North, Xili, Lingzhi, Qianhaiwan and Shangwu as needed. Line 13 services will not be disrupted throughout the construction period, and passengers can use Line 13 to reach the Lianxiandong area.

Opened June 22, 2011, Liuxiandong Station has served Line 5 for nearly 15 years and has become a transfer station with the recently opened northern section of Line 13. 

It sits near Shenzhen Polytechnic University and the senior high section of Shenzhen Experimental School, as well as several leading high-tech firms such as DJI. 

Rapid urban development around Liuxiandong, a growing local population and increased transfer traffic have pushed the station's original capacity beyond its limits. 

When the northern section of Line 13 opened in late December, passenger traffic at Lianxiandong jumped by 53% during the first Monday morning peak (Dec. 29) compared with the same workday a week earlier. The sudden influx quickly overwhelmed circulation, and lengthened transit times. After the upgrade, peak-hour throughput at the station is expected to increase by 77.8%.

The renovation project is scheduled to be completed Feb. 2.