Metro

The Metro in Shanghai is super efficient and easy to use.  It has been idiot proofed as much as possible, even for people who do not speak Chinese or English.  I will try to concisely try to describe all of the different aspects of the Metro that make it work so well. 

1.     Each line is numbered and color-coded.  The colors are consistent across all aspects of the metro system. 

2.     This makes it especially easy to find your way, particularly in the Metro stations where you must interchange to different lines. 

3.     All signage, which there is a lot of, within the station is in English and Chinese, in addition to the previously mentioned color codes and numbers.  There are also large color coded arrows along the ground in each station to point you to the platform you need.  This is the most useful part of the Metro for me.

4.     On each platform is a “timeline” of the line that you are on.  The timeline shows all the stops, however, the previous stops are all grayed out, and the upcoming stops are in the color of whichever line you are on.  This makes it almost impossible to get on the train going the wrong direction. 

5.     Once on the train, the overhead speaker announces each stop in English and Chinese, as well as scrolling electronic signs on each end of each car.  These announcements and signs also tell you if you can interchange to other lines so it is very hard to miss a necessary change.

6.     The trains come typically every 4-6 minutes.  Missing a train is not a big deal.  You aren’t waiting for 15 or 20 minutes like on BART. 

7.     The stops are spaced out very well.  They aren’t so close that you may as well just walk between stations like some of the stations in London, and they aren’t so far away that there are islands of isolation from the Metro throughout the city.

8.     It is so cheap.  It moves so many people each day I suppose they can afford to make it cheap, but I can’t get over how an hour-long train ride, with multiple line changes, only cost 6 RMB.  It’s really nice for anybody that needs to commute daily, and it makes getting out and exploring Shanghai easy on the wallet.

Also, like the Oyster card in London, you can buy a card and put money on it instead of buying tickets everyday.  You never even have to take it out of your wallet (except to top it up when you are running low on funds).  Just slide your wallet or purse over the sensor when you go through the turnstiles.  Perfect.