As 2018 comes to a close, the new Rail Transit Rankings are officially released. With the opening of the Wenzhou Line S1, the number of cities with rail transit in China has risen to 37.
In this year's rankings, the top three remain Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, maintaining their solid positions. Chongqing and Wuhan each moved up one spot. Notably, Qingdao surged 15 places due to the opening of two ultra-long suburban lines. In addition, Xi'an and Changchun saw their operating mileage break 100km, formally joining the "100km Club." After opening its metro, Urumqi has become the westernmost rail transit city in the country. (Note: The ranking cutoff date is the end of the Lunar New Year).
Distinct from the simple annual mileage summaries of the past, this year we have added a special comparison with data from ten years ago.
The last decade has been a golden age for rail transit development in China. From 13 rail transit cities in 2008 to 37 in 2018, the national rail transit landscape has undergone rapid transformation. Many cities have grown from having "zero foundation" or just a few dozen kilometers ten years ago to possessing massive rail networks spanning hundreds of kilometers today—a change that is plain for all to see.
Below are the detailed charts for the "2018 Rail Transit Rankings" and the "2008-2018 Ten-Year Rail Transit Growth Comparison":
2018 China Urban Rail Transit Rankings
2008 vs 2018 Ten-Year Rail Transit Growth Comparison
Let's look forward to the next decade together!