Getting around: 10 Hopes for 2008

There has been plenty of criticism leveled at the Shanghai subway system, both on Shanghaiist and elsewhere, for things that could be better about it: it closes too early, the interchanges take too long, it's too crowded and too hot/cold, it doesn't reach XXX place, etc. If you fancy yourself on optimistic person, though, you know that one way to change the negatives into positives is to change your complaints into things you're looking forward to.

On the Ditiezu BBS, a fan of the Shanghai subway system did just that. Here is his list entitled "Shanghai Metro 2008 - Things To Hope For":

Hope 1: The new Line 2 "fishhead" cars come online, and the old #217、218、219、221、222、223、224 trains can be sent back to the "firstborn" Line 1.
Hope 2: The inner loop of Line 4 adds more trains and the between-train time is brought down to match the outer loop.

Hope 3: The last Line 1 train is modified to bring it up from 6 cars to 8 car, and it makes the trip back from Zhuzhou, Hunan to make a total of 36 8-car trains on Line 1.

Hope 4: Bombardier delivers more cars in a more timely manner to lower the time between trains on Shanghai's "Appian Way" to Songjiang, Line 9; the company delivers on their contract to provide cars for Line 7 by the end of the year.

Hope 5: The cars for Line 6 and Line 8 all arrive, increasing the frequency of trains on the "Ocean Sunglow" and the "Blue Fantasy".

Hope 6: The purchase contract is signed for Line 11's cars; Line 8 is finished and the contract to upgrade its trains from 6 cars to 7 cars is finalized.

Hope 7: The interchanges at Yishan Rd (Lines 3/4/9) and Hongkou Football Stadium (Lines 3/8) are finished.

Hope 8: Enough cars are fixed or borrowed for Line 3 to send half of its trains on to the northern extension.

Hope 9: Shanghai Electric's own Class A car passes operational and safety inspections.

Hope 10: Installation is completed on all of Line 1's platform safety doors, and work is begun on a ticket-less interchange between Lines 1/3/4 at Shanghai Railway Station.

Finally, I hope construction will begin on the Line 11 northern phase 2, Line 12, and Line 13 Huajiang Rd to Shimen Rd (West Nanjing Road) section (if construction doesn't begin next year, it won't be completed by the target of 2012), that work on the Maglev to Hongqiao Airport will see some progress, and also hope that at this time next year I'll be writing another list of hopes for the 2009 Shanghai subway system...