Main construction work on Wuhan Subway Line 16 has reportedly been completed ahead of schedule – with equipment installation and commissioning scheduled to be finished in September and the formal opening and start of operations expected before Dec 28.
Line 16, as one of the subway lines running through the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone, or WHDZ, is a city-area line with a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It is the fastest subway line currently designed for Wuhan – capital of Central China's Hubei province – and will serve as a fast rail transit line connecting the WHDZ with the city's main urban area.
The line starts at Shamaojie Zhoujiahe Station in the south and ends at the Wuhan International Expo Center South Station in the north.
The line's total distance is 33.1 kilometers and it will have 12 stations. Passengers can transfer to Line 6 at the Laoguancun and Wuhan International Expo Center stations.
Current plans call for six metro lines to run through the WHDZ: namely lines 3, 6, 10, 16, 17 and 26.
On completion of Line 16, it is estimated that it will take only 30 minutes for passengers to commute from the WHDZ to Wuhan's main urban area, which is 10-30 minutes faster than driving.
