Release of Design Guidelines for High-Quality Development of Subways in Shenzhen

The Design Guidelines for High-Quality Development of Shenzhen Metro Phase V BRCN QB/SZMC-10605-2023 (hereinafter referred to as Design Guidelines) compiled jointly by Shenzhen Metro Group Co., Ltd. and Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited (UCD) has been officially released for implementation on April 1st. The Design Guidelines is the first directive standard released in China for the high-quality development of urban rail transit, which has filled the gaps in the industry.

The Design Guidelines comprehensively carries out the guiding principle of “building an intensive, efficient, affordable, smart, green, safe and reliable modern infrastructure system” put forth at the 12th session of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. Revolving around the objective of “cost reduction, efficiency increase and sustainable development”, the Design Guidelines focuses on such aspects as enhancement and applicability of construction technology standards, improvement and control of construction quality and elaboration and standardization of construction management in an effort to build subways of Shenzhen into quality, green, smart and humanistic ones, and guides the survey and design of Shenzhen Metro Phase V to secure a high-quality development.

In order to realize its “conclusiveness, progressiveness, guidance and instructiveness”, the Design Guidelines, when being studied, was benchmarked against such international design guidelines and standards as the TOD Standard, the London Underground Station Design Idioms, and the Hong Kong MTR New Lines Design Standard Manuel. Based on observing national and local relevant codes and standards, the Design Guidelines sums up the history of China’s urban rail transit development and challenges and opportunities, probes into the practice done by countrywide subway proprietors in pursuing high-quality development, analyzes the drawbacks cropping up in the construction of the previous four phases of Shenzhen metro, plans as a whole the characteristics of Shenzhen Metro Phase V and sets forth the guiding principles and rules for highlighting the objective of high-quality development of Shenzhen Metro Phase V.

Completed in 12 months, the Design Guidelines consists of 21 chapters and 180 articles. Through research and exchange with the operation, property, business and construction departments of Shenzhen Metro group Co., Ltd., and after soliciting the opinions of relevant units and all overall design units, an expert review meeting was held on Oct. 28, 2023. The review meeting invited Zhong Jianhua, vice chairman of China Association of Metros and executive deputy director of the expert academic committee, to act as head of the expert group, with the group consisting of 24 famous experts from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan and Shenzhen. The experts said that Shenzhen, being as the first pilot city to carry out high-quality development of infrastructure facilities in China, serves as a role model in the industry in doing research into high-quality development of Shenzhen Metro Phase V and that the Design Guidelines encompasses all specialties and multiple dimensions. They said that the trains of thought for work and the content of the guidelines are scientific and reasonable and can bring about good economic and social benefits when put into effect.

As the specific demonstration of new quality productivity in the construction and development of urban rail transit in Shenzhen, the Design Guidelines actively explores solutions and tactics for the high-quality and sustainable urban rail transit development and strives to build safer, more convenient, more efficient, greener and intelligent urban rail transit operation networks to realize the sustainable development and to guide the development direction for the survey, design, construction and management of Shenzhen Metro Phase V in an all-round way.