• First train/last train info for all the new lines (terminal stations only at present)
• Updated information on the Airport Express at Terminal 2 and 3
• Corrected some English station names
• Improved Chinese translations and highlighting on interchanges

You can see the routes of the new lines on the interactive ExploreBeijing subway map.

Note that unlike on the Shanghai metro, all journeys cost a flat 2RMB. The new Airport Express line costs 25RMB! As with other features on explorebj.com, there may be some inaccuracies during the “beta” period, do get in touch if anything looks wrong!

The exact timings for the new lines (Line 8, Line 10 and the Airport Express) won’t be confirmed until later this month when the lines open.

The Shanghai metro map has been redesigned based on your feedback. It now uses clearer fonts and colors, there’s a handy legend for identifying which line is which, and route-planning has been made more intuitive. To plot a route, just drag between two stations, and a grey arrow will preview which stations you are connecting.

Secondly, I’m pleased to announce the first “beta” version of the ExploreBeijing subway map at www.explorebj.com. You can use the “other cities” link in the top tabs to switch city. The ExploreBeijing map isn’t yet complete, notably:

• No first train/last train data for the new lines 8, 10 and Airport Express (which open later this month)
• No route-planning yet… coming soon!
• No station pronounciations yet… coming soon!

If you’ve got any feedback, please get in touch! info@exploreshanghai.com

A quick piece of trivia for you: the longest possible journey between two stations on the Shanghai Metro is the roughly two and a half hour trip between Gangcheng Road (Line 6) and Songjiang Xincheng (Line 9). On the bright side, it will only cost you 9 RMB!

In particular, you can see the longer opening times on several lines (to see the first/last trains from a station, simply click on the circle for that station).

Also, the new “virtual transfers” have been added to the routeplanner. The routeplanner always chooses the fastest route, including time taken to walk between platforms, so it will only recommend a virtual transfer if it will save you time!

Firstly, lines 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9 will get slightly longer opening times. Hurrah!

Secondly, at three stations: Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai Railway Station and Yishan Road, there will be a new ‘virtual transfer’ option. These stations previously featured in the post Hall of shame: the interchanges that aren’t, since at these stations in order to change lines, it is necessary to leave the station, take a long walk, re-enter the station and buy a new ticket. Now, passengers with a Shanghai Public Transportation card will be able to transfer between the separated platforms without paying for an extra ticket. Hurrah! The long walk will remain.

Thirdly, elderly passengers with special cards will be able to travel at off-peak hours for free. Hurrah!

The ExploreShanghai metro map will receive an update soon to reflect the new interchanges and timings. There will be a new post on this blog when the update goes live.

You can expect all the features from the Shanghai metro map, including a comprehensive route planner, station names in English and Chinese and pronounciations of all stations

The Beijing Subway map will be available later this year at explorebj.com

The Guangzhou Metro map will be available at exploregz.com

Click on any of the search results and the map will zoom to the station. It even works in Chinese, just enter the first characters of the station name you’re looking for.

Bonus tip: search faster using the keyboard. Use F3 to jump to the search field, then use the arrow up/down keys to highlight results and press ENTER to zoom there.

The gory details:

• Times for transferring between lines are now much more accurate. Fascinating fact: the longest walk between platforms is between line 2 and lines 3/4 at Zhongshan Park (about 4mins 30secs walk). The shortest is between line 4 and line 8 at South Xizang Road (30 seconds). I know, I timed it.
• Timing for the shuttle bus between line 3 at Yishan Road and line 9 at Guilin Road is now more accurate
• The journey times now include approximate waiting times at the initial and interchange stations; for example although line 1 trains arrive every 3-4 minutes, line 9 trains arrive only every 14 minutes
• The routeplanner will now only suggest changing at Shanghai Railway Station (and hence buying a second ticket) if it will save you at least 10 minutes in total journey time over an alternative route.
• Various special cases are dealt with more sensibly. For example, if you try and plot a route from Hongkou Stadium (line 3) to Hongkou Stadium (line the routeplanner will suggest walking!

Of course, no routeplanning can be perfect since the best route and time taken for a journey is affected by many factors. If you have feedback on the routeplanner, or suggestions for improvements, please get in touch!