Jiangnan goes underground

The lonely orphan of the Shanghai subway system, metro Line 9 will be opening this Saturday along with new Lines 6/8 and the extensions of Lines 1/4. Line 9 has been nicknamed the "Ancient Speedway" because it passes through several historically significant satellite towns of Shanghai: Qibao, Jiuting and Songjiang.

Because stubborn neighbors have delayed Line 9's connection to Lines 3/4, a bus connection between Guilin Rd and Yishan Rd will substitute for a direct metro connection until the Yishan Rd interchange opens at the end of 2008. The two stations are 1 km apart as the crow flies, but the bus will have to cover 3 km on surface streets for a travel time of 10-20 minutes. The maximum departure frequency will be 3 minutes per bus.

The opening date and time of Line 9 was announced yesterday to be December 29 at 10am. This coincides with the end of the opening ceremony being held at People's Square. The time between trains will be 14 minutes.

Finally, each of Line 9's stations is decorated in an old Jiangnan style as a tribute to Songjiang's historical importance. This includes the station names written in traditional calligraphy, and murals featuring traditional Yangtze Delta motifs. Above is a picture of the wall decoration at Guilin Rd Station. Keep reading for a picture of the Qibao Station interior wall.