Subway Line 2 of Changchun Opened to Traffic, Bringing the City as an Old Industrial Base into An Era of Network-based Subway System

On Aug. 30, the first-stage project of Subway Line 2, a green arterial urban rail transit line that connects the east and the west of Changchun, was completed and opened officially to traffic, symbolizing the formation of the main structure of the十-shaped rail transit loop lines in Changchun as well as the city entering in an era of network-based rail transit system.

At 6:58, a hubbub of voices upsurged at the Xihu Rail Yard of Subway Line 2, where a brief yet grand ceremony was conducted for the initial operation of the rail transit line. Representatives of the subway constructers witnessed the exciting moment and voiced their proudness, excitement and joys with simple words from the bottom of their hearts.

At 7:18, with the sonorous sounding of the siren, the first train pulled out of the rail yard on Rail Transit Line 2, starting the journey for the new rail transit route.

With its total length reaching 20.5 kilometers, Rail Transit Line 2 is a key line of the rail transit networks of Changchun and runs from the east of Changchun through to the west of the city, connecting the city’s 6 main districts, including Jingkai District, Erdao District, Nanguan District, Chaoyang District, Luyuan District and Qikai District, and joining the city’s important urban functional zones, such as the economic and technological development zone in the east, the Yatai Business Zone, the Hongijie Business Zone and the new urban area in the west. The design concept of “Style of Industry” features the whole line, and the design of the stations gives full expression to the graceful bearing of Changchun as an old industrial base city. Meanwhile, public artistic works, such as reliefs and murals with “Pulsation of the Times” as the theme, have been added to the stations to highlight the change of times in the city of Changchun over 40 years since China’s reform and opening up to the outside world.

At 7:58, the transfer station for rail transit lines 1 and 2 at Jiefang Avenue went into operation officially. The transfer channel for rail transit lines 1 and 2 was put into use immediately after the Rail Transit Line 2 was opened to traffic.

At 8:18, the townspeople of Changchun in keen expectation swarmed into the 18-seat subway station of Line 2 to experience the fastness of the green arterial rail transit line, thereby having a better recognition of the convenience and efficiency traversing the east and the west of the city by virtue of the network-based rail transit system.

To realize the network-based rail transit services, efforts will be further accelerated in the city of Changchun to realize the use of the same rail transit networks and prices for both Rail Transit Line 2 and the light rail, in order to realize the one-ticket transfer service. Meanwhile, to realize the information-oriented rail transit industry and build Changchun into a smart city, Changchun Railway Traffic Group Co., Ltd. has started the research work on “entrance by cell phone”“ticket booking online”, etc., and will bring them to effect at a proper time.

As a general designer for Rail Transit Line 2 in Changchun, UCD has surmounted loads of difficulties and created many “Bests” over four years’ time. Rail Transit Line 2 is the first “assembly-type” subway station and the third 十-shaped island lateral transfer stations in China and the all PBA method and top-down bored excavation with cast-in-situ arch were used to have built the first tunnel traversing the river in Changchun. Subsequently, UCD will maintain its enthusiasm to complete the opening of the 9.30 Beihu Line one month later.