Xi'an Metro

Xi'an Metro
File:Xi'an Metro.png
Overview
Owner	Xi'an Municipal People's Government
Locale	Xi'an
Transit type	Rapid transit
Daily ridership	N/A
Operation
Began operation	N/A
Operator(s)	Xi'an Municipal People's Government Subway Construction
Technical
System length	Template:Km to mi (planned)
Track gauge	1435 mm
Minimum radius of curvature	0 feet 0 inches (0 mm)
Average speed	0 mph (0 km/h)
Top speed	0 mph (0 km/h)
System map

Xi'an Metro
Traditional Chinese	西安地鐵
Simplified Chinese	西安地铁
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xī'ān Dìtiě

The Xi'an Metro (also known as, "Xi'an Subway"), is a metro system currently under construction to serve the city of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province in China. Xi'an began its metro system plan in the mid-1980s. The Plan was first submitted to the State Council in 1994, with 4 lines planned, with a total 73.17 km. In Feb 2004, the re-drafted Plan was submitted to the State Government, which received a final approval on September 13, 2006.

Line 2 began construction on September 29, 2006, and Line 1 started on October 30, 2008. Four other routes are also planned to start in 2011 and finish around 2020. When completed, the total system will span 251.8 km (157 miles); will mainly service the urban and suburban districts of Xi'an municipality, and part of Xianyang City.

Construction

Line 2

The first line, Line 2, began construction along Chang An street on September 29, 2006, and is scheduled to be completed by 2011. It will run north-south and pass under such historic sites as the Bell Tower and city wall. It is planned to be 26.4 km long with 23.5 km lying underground, approximately 20 meters below the surface. It is estimated to cost 17.9 billion Yuan (US$2.24 billion). The route will stretch from the Xi'an North Railway Station (under-construction) to Weiqu South with 20 stops in between. The travel time will only be 39 minutes for the entire length, cutting the commute almost in half.

Line 1

Construction of the 2nd route - Line 1, was scheduled to start in later-2009, but brought one year earlier as per Chinese Government's response to the Financial crisis of 2007–2010. It is scheduled to complete by 2013. The route will run from east to west.

To accelerate the speed of overall economic development between Xi'an and Xianyang cities, the Transportation Department of Xi'an has decided to extend Line 1 to promote business travel between the two cities, as well as improve the efficiency of land usage alongside Line One. The preparation phase for the extension of Xi'an's Line 1 had started with the compilation of a feasibility study on November 4, 2007. This extension project (or Phase II of Line 1) will start in 2011, with a scheduled completion in 2013.

After the extension of Line One to the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, Xianyang City will become the first second-tier city in China with a subway.

Line 3

Construction of Xi'an Metro's Line 3 is planned to begin after 2010, with 44.3 km (27.5 miles) long and 30 stations planned.

Development

Other metro lines, including Line Four, Line Five, and Line Six will start construction after 2020, according to the plan.

Accidents

On August 2, 2009, 9:20am, a cave in at the Sajinqiao section of line one trapped migrant workers under 10 cubic meters of earth for over three hours, killing at least two who later died in the hospital.

On, May 26, 2009, an individual suffered minor injuries from a fire during infrastructure work on line 1.

On December 30, 2008, a fire accident occurred that was later extinguished within an hour and all workers evacuated safely. Sixty six hours later, on January 2, another fire occurred at another station on line 2..

See also

• List of rapid transit systems