A station of a Shenzhen metro line. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

SHENZHEN - A new metro line and a new section of an existing line in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen have started services.

The first phase of the Metro Line 6 branch started initial operation in the city on Monday. Metro Line 12 began operation on the same day.

With the newly opened lines, the city's urban rail transit network has 16 lines, with a total operating length of 530 km, according to Shenzhen Metro Group Co, Ltd

With the newly opened lines, the city's urban rail transit network has 16 lines, with a total operating length of 530 km, according to Shenzhen Metro Group Co, Ltd.

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Additionally, the city's metro operator is vigorously promoting the digitalization and informatization of the urban rail transit network. The gate machines of the Line 6 branch and Line 12 are equipped with facial recognition for identity authentication.

According to a plan, by 2035, Shenzhen will have built a transportation network consisting of over 1,000 km of urban rail and more than 1,000 km of high-speed, intercity and urban (suburban) railways.