The long-anticipated southern section of Shenzhen Metro Line 13, connecting Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint with the city’s Nanshan district, has started a three-month non-passenger trial run and is expected to go into operation by the end of this year.

The trial operation is an essential step before the driverless trains go into service. It simulates actual operating conditions, and comprehensively tests and inspects facilities and equipment systems such as vehicles, power supply, signals, and communications.

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The checkpoint is one of the major channels between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In the first half of this year, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at the Shenzhen Bay Port reached 112 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 78 percent, and the daily passenger flow was about 616,000 on average.

However, it has not yet been linked with any public rail transportation in either of the cities. Several bus routes have been provided, but are still insufficient to meet the surging demand. The new line will expedite cross-border traveling and enhance communication between the two cities.

Besides the checkpoint, the section compasses another six stops, including the Talent Park, Houhai, Shenzhen University and Hi-tech Central stations. Extensions to the northern part of the city, such as the planned high-speed railway station in Xili, are in the pipeline. The entire line will stretch 22.4 kilometers with 16 stations.

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Moreover, the line will connect to Dongguan’s metro system at the second stage of construction.

MTR Consulting (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the MTR Corporation, also participated in the investment and construction of Metro Line 13, and will operate the Line for 30 years upon completion.

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The trains on the line are equipped with the GoA4 level fully automated unmanned operation control system, with a maximum operating speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

Contact the writer at grace@chinadailyhk.com