Shenzhen's public transport system will be stretched next year, with as many as seven railway lines being constructed in the city, Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng said Tuesday.

"In 2008, there will be at least 60 construction sites for the Metro project alone inside the special economic zone, not to mention other inter-city railway lines," Xu said. "Next year will be a difficult time for the public transport."

The seven projects comprise two new Metro lines, three under-construction Metro lines, and two new inter-city railway lines, according to Xu.

The 23-kilometer Metro Line 1 extension, which runs from Window of the World to the airport, is now under construction and expected to be in service at the end of 2008.

The under-construction second phase of Metro Line 4, which will link the Children's Palace with downtown Longhua in Bao'an District will be ready in 2009.

Work on Line 3, which will connect Hongling Road Central with Longxing Street in Longgang, has just begun.

Work on Metro Lines 2 and 5 will start soon. The 35-kilometer Line 2 will link Shekou passenger ferry terminal with Huangbeiling in Luohu District.

Line 5 could stop at 29 stations as it meanders from Nanshan through parts of Bao'an and Longgang before ending at Shenzhen Grand Theater in Luohu.

Metro Line 1, which runs from Luohu to Window of the World, was put in service at the end of 2004.

The Beijing-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Railway and the Longgang section of Shenzhen-Xiamen Railway will start construction next year.

The much-anticipated 535-kilometer Shenzhen-Xiamen railway is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

Upon completion, it will take only nine hours to travel by train from Shenzhen to Shanghai and three hours from Shenzhen to Xiamen.
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(Shenzhen Daily November 15, 2007)