By Paul Chung





Riders of metro lines 3 and 4 should expect more delays, crowds, and headaches when maintenance operations begin later this month.

According to Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, several trains will be taken out of service at a time to undergo “frame repairs.” Passengers should anticipate reduced frequencies on both lines across the board. The revised timetables have not yet been finalized.

The operating authority is exploring passenger restriction measures, such as erecting barriers outside stations, which probably will have minimal impact at best.

Lines 3 and 4 partially overlap routes between Baoshan Road Station in the northeast and Yishan Road Station in the southwest. Line 4, which loops around the city, is one of the three busiest lines in the metro system.

The recent opening of the first phase of line 13 is expected to further vex congestion on lines 3 and 4, particularly at Jingshajiang Road Station where the line currently terminates. Ultimately, the repairs will have ripple effects on the entire public transportation system as passengers seek alternate routes.

More bad news: repair operations are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.





