This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

The 16.1-kilometer Shanghai Metro Line 1 opened to traffic on April 10, 1995, as seen in the item from China Daily (right).

The line marked Shang- hai’s urban construction entering a new stage. With 16 lines in operation, Shanghai has the world’s longest Metro network of 666 km.

This year, another 41 km of track will be laid in the city.

Last month, driverless trains were tested on a new metro in Shanghai.

In the past two decades, China has witnessed a subway construction boom, with many cities building metro networks to ease traffic congestion.

So far, the National Development and Reform Commission has approved 43 projects. The total length of urban rail transit in operation is expected to reach 8,600 km by 2020.

In Beijing, new subway lines or additional sections of more than 350 km are under construction, according to local transport authorities.

The city has 19 lines, covering 574 km, in operation.

China’s railway companies have also been helping upgrade subways abroad.

China Railroad Rolling Stock Corp, the largest railcar manufacturer, has won bids to build carriages for several countries including Ukraine and the United States.