Shenzhen launched four new metro line extensions on Sunday, a milestone that achieves metro coverage across all its districts and cements its status as a top-tier "rail city".
The new lines push the city's total operational metro mileage to 634.5 kilometers across 441 stations. This expansion increases the network density to 0.32 km per square km, the highest on the Chinese mainland.
With this launch, the total number of new lines opened in 2025 reaches six, marking a record annual increase for the city's metro system.
The Phase 3 extension of Line 8 brings the first metro station — Xichong (溪涌) — to Shenzhen’s Dapeng New District, benefiting commuters and tourists heading to the city's eastern coast. Notably, Hong Kong visitors can now cross the border at Liantang Port (莲塘口岸), walk to the nearby metro station, and ride directly to Dapeng without any transfers.
The western extension of Line 5 connects the existing line that starts from Shenzhen’s western Chiwan station (赤湾) with three key commercial hubs in Luohu District — Dongmen (东门), Hubei (湖贝), and Grand Theatre (大剧院). It is expected to ease transfer pressure at Huangbeiling (黄贝岭) Station and allows shoppers direct access to malls from Dongmen Station.
The Hongling South (红岭南) section of Line 11 Phase 2 boosts the peak-hour capacity of Line 11 by 20 percent. It establishes an efficient east-west corridor, enabling a direct 30-minute journey from Bao'an to Luohu districts via Gangxia North (岗厦北) station, where passengers can transfer to Line 14.
The northern section of Line 13 Phase 1, a segment with nine stations, completes this north-south arterial line. It reduces the travel time from Shangwu (上屋) station to Shenzhen Bay Port to just 37 minutes, greatly enhancing connectivity for commuters and deepening integration within the Greater Bay Area through seamless transfers with six other lines.
READ MORE: Shenzhen metro line 8 extension brings 1st rail service to Dapeng
This expansion is driven by robust passenger demand, with the Shenzhen metro's 2025 passenger volume expected to surpass 32 billion trips. The extensive network now forms the backbone of the city's public transport, accounting for 77.5 percent of all public transit journeys.
This article is translated by China Daily from the original report in Chinese as published on the official WeChat public account of Shenzhen Metro.
