In the global landscape of urban rail transit, China’s metro system stands out as a late bloomer that has risen spectacularly. The world’s first underground railway emerged in London, United Kingdom, in 1863, followed by major cities in Europe and America such as Paris and New York. In Asia, Tokyo, Japan, led the way as a pioneer. By contrast, the construction of China’s metro began in the 1960s, starting considerably later. Nevertheless, China’s total metro operating mileage has now surged to the top spot globally, far surpassing that of the United States and Japan, and serving as a symbol of urbanisation and an infrastructure miracle. China’s metro not only addresses the transport pressures arising from dense populations in large cities but also leads the way in technological innovations in areas such as driverless operations, where many developed countries might feel somewhat outclassed in comparison.
The origins of China’s metro can be traced back to mid-20th-century Beijing, by which time more than a century had passed since the birth of the world’s first underground line. In the 1950s, the Chinese government drew on the Soviet model and launched the first phase of the Beijing metro project in 1965. Compared to international examples, the genesis of China’s metro was heavily shaped by geopolitical influences rather than purely commercial motivations, such as the steam-era innovations of London’s underground. This line was initially designed for dual military and civilian purposes, enduring the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution before finally being completed in 1969 and opening for passenger service in 1971. However, from the 1970s through to the early 1990s, the development of China’s metro remained concentrated in first-tier cities along the eastern coastal regions. During this period, the total mileage of China’s metro was limited, amounting to only a few hundred kilometres.
China’s metro gradually became more widespread and truly evolved into a daily travel tool for ordinary people in multiple locations only after entering the 21st century. In the 2000s, benefiting from the economic surge following China’s accession to the WTO and the hosting of international events such as the Beijing Olympics, the mileage in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou doubled rapidly, with metro tracks also beginning to extend to mid-western cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu. Particularly since the 2010s, China’s metro development has become more balanced, with over 40 cities nationwide now boasting metro systems, and the total mileage skyrocketing from 2,064 kilometres in 2012 to the current global pinnacle. Mid-western cities like Xi’an and Wuhan have emerged as new hotspots for metro expansion, and even remote areas such as Urumqi in Xinjiang and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia are no longer ‘no-go zones’ for metros.
Today, China’s metro is not merely a mode of transport but also a paragon of green development. Its journey from lagging behind at the start to leading the world exemplifies the fusion of national resolve and technological advancement, foreshadowing further strides towards intelligent and sustainable directions in the future.