Metro Line 5 to extend all the way to Fengxian

Shanghai plans to build a subway extension line further south to suburban Fengxian District that has long been the wish of the residents there.

The extension will stretch from the current Line 5 in Minhang District to Fengxian and will have nine stops in total, according to a draft plan released yesterday. Officials were soliciting public opinions on environmental issues.

The new line will be more than 19 kilometers long, starting from Dongchuan Road in Minhang and ending in Nanqiao New City, a large residential community. The community is expected to be home to more than 1.2 million people in future.

Officials said residents can save almost half the time required now to reach downtown Shanghai when the new line becomes operational.

One of the problems likely to be faced is that Line 5 uses smaller carriages than those used in downtown.

It was still unclear from the plan what sort of carriages will be used on the line. But the district government has said platforms will be enlarged to accommodate larger trains.