Phase II of Wuhan Metro Line 12 opens, Asia’s longest closed loop subway line

China News Service, Wuhan, October 29 (Zhang Qin, Yuan Yonghua) The second phase of Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 opened for initial operation on the 29th, and is connected with the previously opened phase one. So far, Asia's longest subway loop line with a total length of 59.9 kilometers and 37 stations has "drawn a circle", connecting the "three towns" of Wuhan City: Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang.

"With the opening of the second phase, the 37 stations of Line 12 are connected to form a ring, just like drawing a complete circle." Zhu Xiaozhen, the second-level project manager of Wuhan Metro Co., Ltd. said that Wuhan is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with three towns across the river. Cross-river traffic has long been a pain point for urban commuting. All 37 stations on Line 12 are underground, connecting seven central urban areas for the first time, connecting the two major railway hubs of Hankou Station and Wuchang Station, and can be interchanged with 18 existing and planned lines.

Wuhan Metro Line 12 crossed the Yangtze River twice and the Han River once. Faced with the complex hydrogeological construction environment, Wuhan Metro Group, China Railway Development Investment Group, China Railway Construction Investment Group and other units jointly overcame technical difficulties such as high water pressure, composite strata, and long-distance underwater shields, demonstrating the strength of urban rail transit construction under ultra-complex geological conditions.

So far, Wuhan's rail transit operation has a total mileage of 581 kilometers and 351 stations. Wuhan Metro has officially entered a new development pattern of "circulation-radiation and interweaving of rings and networks".

According to statistics, the total passenger volume of Wuhan's subway network has exceeded 13 billion rides, with the highest daily passenger volume of 6.022 million rides, and the city's public transportation passenger share rate exceeds 70%. With the closure of the entire Line 12, the cross-river traffic pressure caused by the natural barriers of the Yangtze and Han Rivers has been further alleviated, and the carrying capacity and accessibility of the rail transit network have been significantly improved.