Kunming Metro
Encyclopedia
Kunming Rail Transit or Kunming Metro is a rapid transit system currently under construction in Kunming
, the capital of Yunnan
. With a population just over 3 million, Kunming is one of the largest cities in China
without a metro system. The system will initially consist of 2 lines, with a further 4 proposed. The metro will consist of subway segments in the city centre and above ground grade-separated segments in the periphery.
has been the site of a recent construction boom, although most new developments are still unoccupied without adequate transit connections. Thus, the Kunming Metro will serve the dual purpose of alleviating traffic problems in the city's core, and encouraging growth the southeast. A future phase of the metro will also connect with the new Kunming Xiaoshao International Airport to the east.
Construction of Line 1 is expected to cost as much as 32 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion), with each kilometer of above-ground light rail costing around 250 million yuan and each kilometer of underground subway expected to cost between 400 million and 800 million yuan. All rail lines within Erhuan Lu (Kunming's second ring road) will be underground.
The primary contractor is China Railway Construction Corporation
(CRCC).
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, the capital of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
. With a population just over 3 million, Kunming is one of the largest cities in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
without a metro system. The system will initially consist of 2 lines, with a further 4 proposed. The metro will consist of subway segments in the city centre and above ground grade-separated segments in the periphery.
Background
The streets of Kunming have long been congested and there have been talks of a subway system for almost a decade. A 2006 proposal would have seen construction start in 2008 with a north-south line and an east-west line. The current rapid transit system was first announced in 2009, with construction scheduled to start later that year. The proposed routes not only serve commuters in Kunming city centre, but will help encourage development to the city's southeast. The suburb of ChenggongChenggong County
Chenggong County is a county under the jurisdiction of Kunming Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.Chenggong is the chief zone for the expansion of the city of Kunming, 20 minute drive away – it is the site of the new Kunming Wujiaba International Airport, and new campuses for Yunnan University and...
has been the site of a recent construction boom, although most new developments are still unoccupied without adequate transit connections. Thus, the Kunming Metro will serve the dual purpose of alleviating traffic problems in the city's core, and encouraging growth the southeast. A future phase of the metro will also connect with the new Kunming Xiaoshao International Airport to the east.
Construction
Construction on lines 1 and 2 officially began in May 2010, after months of delays. An elevated test section had been under construction since 2009. Lines 1 and 2 were scheduled to open in 2012, but with delays, it is estimated they won't open until early 2013. Construction on line 3 began in August 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2016. The entire system consisting of 6 lines is estimated to be complete by 2018.Construction of Line 1 is expected to cost as much as 32 billion yuan (US$4.5 billion), with each kilometer of above-ground light rail costing around 250 million yuan and each kilometer of underground subway expected to cost between 400 million and 800 million yuan. All rail lines within Erhuan Lu (Kunming's second ring road) will be underground.
The primary contractor is China Railway Construction Corporation
China Railway Construction Corporation
The China Railway Construction Corporation , or simply CRCC, is the second largest state-owned construction enterprise in the People's Republic of China, just after China Railway Engineering Corporation...
(CRCC).
Route Description
The first phase will consist of lines 1 and 2.- Line 1 will be 34 km long, running from Kunming city centre to the Kunming Radio and Television University in Chenggong New City. It will consist of underground segments in Kunming and Chenggong and an elevated segment connecting the two. Attractions served will include Kunming Station, Century City, Guandu Old Town, and Sports City.
- Kunyifuyiyuan (昆医附一院)
- Milesi (弥勒寺)
- Xisita (西寺塔)
- Huancheng Nanlu (环城南路)
- Kunming Station (昆明站)
- Exhibition Center (会展中心)
- Rixinlijiaoqiao (日新立交桥)
- Wujiaba (巫家坝)
- Olympic Center (奥体中心)
- Xiaodongcun (晓东村)
- Century City (世纪城)
- Sports Center (体育城)
- Sports Center South (体育城南)
- Wulacun (五腊村)
- Xiaowangjiaying (小王家营)
- Chenggong North (呈贡北)
- City Hall (市行政中心)
- Chenggong (呈贡)
- Chenggong South (呈贡南)
- Xiazhuangcun (下庄村)
- Yunnan Television Broadcasting University (云南广播电视大学)
- Line 2 will be the north-south backbone of the system, connecting the North Bus Station with Fubao.
- Line 3 will be the east-west backbone of the system, running primarily along Dongfeng and Renmin Roads. This line will run from the East Bus Station through the city centre and connect to the city's west near the edge of Dianchi Lake.
- Line 4 will complement line 1 by connecting Kunming's north and east with Chenggong New City.
- Line 5 will act as a feeder running from the southwest to the northeast.
- Line 6 will be an express line connecting the main lines of the system with the new Kunming changshui International Airport.
Sources
- http://news.kunming.cn/km-news/content/2009-06/29/content_1907733.htm
- http://www.yn.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2010-05/04/content_19686207.htm
