Public opinion sought on fare rate for Shanghai's urban rail lines

A public hearing seeking suggestions and opinions on Shanghai's urban rail fares will be held next month, as the first high-speed rail link between the city's Pudong and Hongqiao airports is expected to be put in use at the end of this year, according to government officials.

The hearing will be attended by 19 official participants at Shanghai Library East on September 2, with six substitutes and observers who voluntarily registered and were chosen randomly.

Shanghai's urban rail lines are different from high-speed rails and Metros. They meet the needs of passengers for fast travel over medium and long distances between the main urban areas, new cities, and towns close to Shanghai, and are hopefully interchangeable with Metros and other public transportation.

The airport link line is Shanghai's first urban rail line to be independently invested in, constructed, and operated.

Its first section, from the Hongqiao Terminal 2 station to that Pudong Terminal 1 & 2 station, is due to be completed by the end of this year.

"The airport link line can run at minimum intervals of up to three minutes and is designed to reach a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour, which can meet passengers' needs for fast travel," said Wei Lu, chief economist at the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission.

Other urban rail lines under construction in Shanghai include the Jiamin Line, Nanhui Branch Line, Demonstration Area Line, and Nanfeng Line, all expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

The fare rate programs of Shanghai urban rail lines include price management, base rate, pricing method, starting price, transfer pricing rules, and implementation scope.

Currently, two types of programs have been prepared, with the first option implementing a single rate, which is consistent with the current high-speed rail pricing rules; and the second option implementing a stepped rate, which is consistent with the current Metro pricing rules.

Among them, the starting price has been initially set to 4 yuan (56 US cents).

"Taking the Shanghai urban rail line does not necessitate buying tickets in advance, you can buy as you go, just like taking the bus, which will greatly improve convenience for travelers," said Dai Qi, director of the railway transportation department of Shanghai Commission of Transportation.

To reduce the cost of travel for people with frequent travel needs, the Shentong Metro Group has also developed preferential measures such as electronic counting tickets for the urban rail lines, which are expected to be implemented in tandem with the fare program.

According to Liu Hongjie, vice president of Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Co, the urban rail line electronic counting ticket will be issued by the enterprise authorization and purchased by passengers through the authorized online official channel with real-name authentication.

"The electronic counting ticket will be a base package of 20 times, valid for 30 days from the date of activation, with a single discount of 70 percent off the normal fare. The lowest discounted fare would be 3 yuan, and the program will be on a trial basis for one year," said Liu.

The emergence of urban rail lines will enable the public to choose different modes of travel based on the length of their travel as well as their budget, thus enhancing travel efficiency and comfort, according to Wei.