First subway to cross Yangtze River underway

Wuhan (CNS) – A shield machine broke though the wall of a subway station of Wuhan City, Hubei Province at 6 pm on February 26, marking the spot where the first subway line in China will cross the Yangtze River.

The No.2 metro line is nicknamed the 'golden traffic passage'. Twenty-one subway stations will be set up along its 27 kilometers during the first phase of the project, connecting the major commercial and business districts of Wuhan.

The count-down period has begun and by September 2012, test drives will be conducted. By the end of this year, the whole line will open to traffic.

The 'golden traffic passage' is expected to carry 299,000 passengers every day by 2015, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total amount of traffic that crosses the river.

Wuhan City is located in central China and covers the intersection of the Yangtze and Han rivers, as well as the conglomeration of three city districts, Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. The populous city bears a heavy traffic load at present and looks forward to the rapid development of its metro lines.