Disruption from Zhenping Road station upgrade 'relatively minimal'

Zhenping Road Metro Station experienced its first morning rush hour on Tuesday after the construction of an enclosure connecting the station's two halls began.

Passengers had to pass through two narrow passageways at the direction of Metro staff during what is the station's busiest time.

Construction will last until December 20, and will ensure that the east and west halls of the station will be connected, making passenger flow between Lines 3 and 4 and Line 7 more smooth.

“We have adopted an intermittent passenger limitation system and utilized more volunteers, staff and policemen to ensure passenger safety during the renovation," said Li Jinghu, deputy general manager of Shanghai Metro No.3 Operation Company.

Zhengping Road Station hall, as a transfer station between lines, currently handles 108,000 daily commuters on weekdays.

When transferring, passengers complained about the inconvenience of waiting an extra few minutes in the underground hall due to the renovation.

Although Zhenping Road Station staff posted public notices five days before construction began, many commuters still didn't know about the project. "I don't know why it's so crowded today," Zhou Yi, a white collar worker, grumbled. "I had to wait 4 minutes for the elevator!"

But Li insisted that the passenger flow rate during morning rush hour on Tuesday was not much different than normal. "We are doing our best to keep the disruption relatively minimal."