Shanghai Rail: Airport Link Open !

[@ClivesChronicles]

Last year landing in Pudong Airport, then having to take line 2 all the way to Hongqiao Railway station for the bullet train. Next February I’m back again, this will be so much quicker!

[@VicariousVoyager]

Every time I watch a video going over the infrastructure in China all I can think to myself is wtf are we doing in Canada?

[@rolandbol7350]

Canada, population around 40 million. Shanghai, population close to 30 million. I think that explains a great deal.

[@morecokesplz]

Please don't compare China with Canada...Canada is not in the same league LMAO...

[@DS.J]

Long awaited project this one. While Shanghai (as well as most other large Chinese cities) has incredible metro and public transport in general, one area where it's somewhat lacking (again, like other Chinese cities) is large capacity, high frequency fast suburban/commuter railway networks ontop of the existing metro lines. Think Paris RER, German S-Bahn or even London Crossrail/Thameslink. This is a good step to the right direction. Can't wait to try it out. Thank you for showing this to us. Subscribed to your channel too :)

[@JamesJones-kb2tw]

Was thinking of doing quick layover to visit Shanghai. This is going to be very handy!

[@pal2011]

Very cool. Those 2 airports are so far apart and it'll serve some of the suburban areas as well.

[@ubermenschen3636]

@ 1:40 , notice the entry gate has no barrier that opens or closes. This kind of barrier -less gate is feasible in China where crime is negligible and a culture that emphasizes civility. In NYC and LA “gate jumpers” are widespread even with special police patrol partly because the subway fare is expensive and a legacy criminal culture.

[@Miss-P.]

Interesting! You’re making me miss shanghai now 😊

[@zhan9207]

Great, no more worries about traffic jams, much faster and much cheaper!

[@ChemistryUncovered]

Exactly like London!!! (Except spacious, clean and well-lit). Oh and no graffiti 😂

[@AustinKelly94]

It saves a lot of time, but the real game changer will be when Shanghai Pudong HSR station opens

[@bareth_]

Rode this new line from Pudong to ZhongChun Road. The journey to the airports via Line 2 always felt like a pain with all the people + time it takes. Calling a DiDi was the only option. The Airport Link Line is a surprisingly quick and pleasant alternative. I can imagine myself choosing this over ride hailing when I have only a few pieces of luggage.

[@hobog]

5:00 ooh this service follows the mainline in running on the left

[@SwissWalker]

great ❤❤❤

[@allexdu1996]

It’s great 🎉

[@pineapplesareyummy6352]

Long overdue! It is also surprisingly slow by China's standards, as massive infrastructure projects were started and finished across the entire country - even in remote parts of the country - but for a long time, there was no direct public transport link between the two main airports of the biggest city.

[@chenwong1036]

They should have done it much earlier. They should have extended the Maglev track from Pudong to Hongqiao airport to complete.

[@rolandbol7350]

I think that may have been the plan at some time. Maybe the route was to difficult, or maybe the maglev technology was an obstacle. Points are a problem. Currently the maglev line works as two separate tracks with one vehicle shuttling on each track. No points needed, except at the start/end of service. But that solution doesn't scale to a longer line.

[@paulanderson7796]

Heathrow Express at LHR is upwards of thirty quid for a return to and from London Paddington. This is if you book in advance. I find that idea quite weird. I mean you can't predict flight delays and your purchase is not refundable. Now, what if I buy a ticket and 11:30 AM and board a train at 11:36 AM? Is that not in advance??

[@timmytumbler]

Oh I never realised it was that much, this airport link line is the equivalent of about 3gbp

[@paulanderson7796]

@@timmytumbler I'd quit The UK for China tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself. The West tells outrageous lies about China. And about Russia. The propaganda is unreal. There are whole YT channels dedicated entirely to that!

[@StevenMillward]

good to see China adding more medium-speed commuter rail. hopefully this rail style (with no need for a booked ticket) will expand between some very close cities

[@transportspotterraphael]

Happy new year Tim! Great overview as always! I am pretty sure that these trains are actually designed according to the national railway standards, with 25kV and I would also wonder if it's not cross-compatible with the rest of the network, shall there ever be this need. I also believe it's designed so they can be coupled up into 4 + 4 trains, though with potential options to maybe order 8 carriages train in the future if the ridership increases.

[@imwsss726]

It's actually China's first standardized suburban C-Train, so it uses the national railway standards for commuter rail. The only difference is the signalling, but it's an easy modification if it's needed. The authorities have also mentioned it in the press.

[@transportspotterraphael]

@@imwsss726 So, this line uses CTCS, but what you mean is that it can be fitted with CBTC or perhaps the train could?

[@imwsss726]

@ I think it currently adopts CTCS2 and ATO. The details of how it connects to mainline signaling have not been published yet, but I guess it's more like adding CBTC to let mainline EMUs run on this line?

[@transportspotterraphael]

@@imwsss726 Ah I see, I'd be really interested to know more if any such details are published! Through these here comments or if you have any page that gets updated and that I can machine translate, I'd take that! Thank you so much for the additional info! :D

[@theolich4384]

If only the maglev extension plan wasn't shelved 2008-2010 due to the protests...but anyway, better late than never. Glad to see them staying serious on the deadlines, like they always do. International travel from neighboring cities will be a breeze too!

[@minibobjhu2523]

That’s much nicer than taking Line 2 all the way😂❤. Beijing is working on something similar linking PEK and PKX, but it’s still years away(2028)

[@hobog]

I feel sorry for the maglev, it's the world's fastest antique train

[@rockerjim8045]

still a great tourist attraction

[@ChristianWatsonNC]

One day you'll give us a tour of the airport!

[@HAL-bo5lr]

Surprised this didn't yet exist. I wonder how much time it'll save.

[@GegeChu-wq7xq]

cool

[@Camus886]

Cool,after this train running,the line 2 and maglev train will have less people

[@qjtvaddict]

They should have extended the maglev

[@mark123655]

Makes the maglev even more pointless (and costly)

[@starsaber100]

@@qjtvaddict they build this in the first place because they can’t continue the Meglev anymore because it’s extremely costly Even Germany give up on it, not to mention the distance is way too short for the meglev, at least give time for ppl to take a nap after a long journey

[@mark123655]

So from the naming the station you started at is closer to Hongquiao T2, but is also walkable to the Railway station. Is it a long walk, or with luggage might you be better taking the metro (l10 across)

[@timmytumbler]

It’s not a long walk, maybe 500m

[@AmelieZh]

bummer they close so early... I'm going to HQ to pvg at 12:00am

[@ubermenschen3636]

Just when you think China’s subway can’t get any better, you see this: high speed rail linking Shanghai subway system. China transport is 100 years ahead of USA. China is the future. USA is the past.

[@MightySteve001]

If the Shanghai Rail does 160 Kph, it's slightly slower than the Indian high-speed train.

[@leolu4868]

This is a Shanghai Suburban Rail line, which is not a part of Chinese high-speed rail system. It is integrated with the metro system which is so massive that any Indian cities' cannot be compared with.

[@m4ster311]

they don't even say this is high speed rail this is integrated in the metro system and an addition to the metro not the high speed rail...

[@df4b1370]

Do you know the train speed at HongQiao railway station where this 160kmph train is heading to?

[@qjtvaddict]

It’s a suburban line bro not intercity

[@hkjzking3516]

Indians are ensuathetic to compare to China which is beyond their reach in reality. In China 160 km/hr can not be called HSR. Only 200-350 km/hr and in the new 400 km/hr train can be called HSR. China has built 47000 km of those and India has 0. You need compare to Indonesia not China.