Shanghai's Metro Line 2 will dispatch its first train at 5:55am from tomorrow, half an hour earlier than before, Shanghai Metro Operation Company officials said yesterday.

They will also add three train services during the morning peaks between 7am to 9am, and two extra services between 9am and 4:30pm.

This should cut the maximum interval between two trains to four minutes from 4.5 minutes.

During evening peak hours, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, the line will add one train and reduce the intervals by 10 seconds to three minutes and 40 seconds. Officials say this will mean the line can handle seven percent more passengers during that period.

Line 2 serves more than 800,000 passengers every day, accounting for 25 percent of the city's Metro traffic, the company said.

Officials will also stop passengers entering the Zhangjiang High Technology Park Station, the terminus station at Pudong, during the morning and evening peaks when there are too many passengers standing on the platform.

The station, which serves more than 110,000 passengers every day, has become the busiest Metro station in the city.

Metro operators have also put into effect a new practice where trains heading in the same direction now pull up on both sides of the platform during rush hours.

"During the morning peak, the number of passengers leaving the station greatly surpasses the influx flows, causing alarming pressure of crowding on the platform," said Yin Wei, a local Metro spokesman.

"Commuters should listen carefully to the station broadcast to choose the correct platform to approach for their desired train," Yin said.

(Shanghai Daily March 27, 2008)