Security beefed up at East Xujing Metro station for expo
East Xujing Metro station, which is the closest Metro station to the site of the upcoming China International Import Expo, is ready for an influx of passengers during the event, police said on Tuesday.
While the daily average number of passengers going through the station is usually between 40,000 and 50,000, that number is expected to surge to 300,000 on November 9 and 10, the last two days of the expo, when visitors who have made reservations can attend, police said.
A bunch of security measures have been implemented to ensure security at the station.
The half a dozen police officers usually working at the station will be backed up by over 60 colleagues, including some armed police and police from nearby stations. The Metro operator and the subdistrict government have together engaged in over 900 drills utilizing large crowds and emergency scenarios in preparation for the expo.
Railings to regulate queues of people have been placed at security checkpoints, entrances and passages at the station, with volunteers to be stationed at their posts from 7am to 8pm.
Four new scanning machines, the most advanced in the city according to police, can automatically send alarms regarding suspicious objects, and passengers will be required to go through a security check gate when their bags are being scanned by the machine.
Four entrances open
During the expo, which will be held from November 5 to 10, only four of the seven entrances to the Metro station will be operational, police said.
Before 12pm, only entrances 6, 8 and 9 will open, and passengers will only be able to enter the station via entrance 9 and exit through 6 and 8. After 12pm, passengers will also be able to enter the station via entrance 4.
Those who enter the station from entrance 4 won't have to go through security checks because the entrance is located within the complex of the site, the National Exhibition and Convention Center, according to police.
But the above arrangement could be subject to change on particular days.
Police said information about open entrances will be announced through broadcasts at the station and be shown on screens.
Multi-lingual police
To better serve foreign passengers, six police officers who speak English, German, French, Japanese and Korean have begun working at East Xujing and other Metro stations at the Hongqiao traffic hub.
One of them is Zhang Wei, a young French-speaking police officer who works at Xizang Road S. Metro station.
Because of her language skills, she has been working as a volunteer for the city’s police hotline “110” for many years.
“My colleagues and I will help foreign passengers, and if we happen to be not at the station where the passenger is located, we’ll be available by phone or, if necessary, we’ll travel to that station,” she said.