Han Ximin 1824295095@qq.com TWO new Metro sections — Phase II of the Line 6 spur in Guangming District and Phase II of Line 16 in Longgang District — began operations at 11:18 a.m. yesterday, bringing the city’s Metro network to over 609 kilometers of track. Around 10 a.m., many residents in Longgang and Guangming gathered outside stations to try the new services. “The long?anticipated extension of Line 16 has finally opened after five years of construction. It will be very convenient for commuters in the Yuanshan area,” said a resident surnamed Liu. Phase II of the Line 6 spur runs 4.94 km entirely within Guangming District, extending from the existing Guangming Station (Phase I) to Guangmingcheng Station, with stops at Biyan and Hongqiao Park. The extension is expected to significantly shorten travel times between Guangming Science City and downtown Futian District. It also gives riders easy access to Hongqiao Park and the Hongqiao?Dalingding?Biyan Reservoir ecological area for hiking and outdoor activities. The Biyan Station neighborhood offers a cluster of local specialty restaurants. As a major transport hub in northwestern Shenzhen, Guangmingcheng Station provides seamless transfers to the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Ganzhou–Shenzhen High?speed Railway, and Metro Line 13. It will also connect to the planned Shenzhen–Dongguan–Zengcheng Intercity Railway in the future, integrating high?speed, intercity, and Metro services. Phase II of Line 16 spans 9.54 km from Universiade Station to Yuanshan Xikeng Station and includes eight stops. The operator says the full Line 16 will run at intervals of roughly four minutes 50 seconds during weekday peak hours and six minutes on weekends and holidays. In addition to these two openings, Shenzhen plans to bring four more Metro sections into service before year?end, including extensions of lines 13, 5, 8, and 11. | 