Shenzhen Tram is a

light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

system consisting of two (formerly three) tram routes in Longhua District,

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Construction commenced on 27 December 2013 and public testing started on 30 June 2017, with the system fully opening on 28 October 2017. The tram system integrates the north side of Longhua into the city's rail network and is expected to significantly ease commuting difficulties. The initial system consists of and three lines. The tram links Qinghu Station on Line 4 of the

Shenzhen Metro The Shenzhen Metro ( zh, s=深圳地铁, c=, labels=no) is the rapid transit system for the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. The newest lines and extensions which opened on December 27, 2024 put the network at of trackage. It cu ...

with central Guanlan, with service to Longhua areas including Automobile Industry City, Guanlan Strategic New Industries Park and the Science and Technology Service Center. It will eventually connect with Shenzhen Metro Line 4 at Xinlan Station. There are 21 stations, constructed at a cost of about 1.38 billion yuan (US$226 million). It is expected to help residents commute and relieve

traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...

in the local area. A spur links Guanlan New Industry Park with Dahe Road. The spur is expected to cost 218 million yuan.

Lines

There are 2 lines in operation; line 1 (Qinghu – Xiawei) & Line 2 (Qinghu – Xinlan). Lines 1 and 2 share tracks between Qinghu and Dahe, where they branch off. Line 3 formerly connected Xiawei with Xinlan, passengers travelling between Xiawei and Xinlan are now required to transfer at Dahe for a connection. Services formerly ran at a 20-minute frequency on each of Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3 with the parallel section between Qinghu and Dahe receiving a 10-minute frequency. To meet demand, services on Line 3 were withdrawn on 27 December 2017, and a 12-minute frequency was provided on Line 1 and Line 2, with a 6-minute frequency on the parallel section as these flows accounted for 94% of the demand. This provided an 87% increase in transport capacity. From 28 June 2018, an 8-minute frequency is applied on Line 1 and Line 2, with a 4-minute interval on the parallel section to meet increasing demand during peak hours. To meet the desired density, all the trams are put into service, the first in railway transport industry. * Line 1: Qinghu – Xiawei. 8.6 km. * Line 2: Qinghu – Xinlan. 6.8 km.

Rolling stock

Rolling stock consists of 4 section trams constructed by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, using technology from

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

. The system does not use overhead wires, with trams recharging an onboard capacitor from fixed power bars above the tracks at each stop.

Discussion

Zhao Pinglin, deputy director of Shenzhen Rail Construction Headquarters, said tram systems have shorter, cheaper construction periods than metro and light rail. Modern tram systems also have lower energy consumption, more flexibility and quieter operations, Zhao said. Longhua is planning three tram lines totaling 51 kilometers. Construction of metro projects can take four to five years and cost 600–700 million yuan per kilometer, while tram lines can cost about 100 million yuan per kilometer and be used for 30 years. The tram has been criticized for roughly following the path of the north extension of

Line 4 rendering the project redundant. However, given that the goal of the tram project was to improve short distance transport and serve as a feeder line to the metro, the tram project will complement the Metro extension rather than compete with it.

References

{{Shenzhen Transport in Shenzhen Longhua District, Shenzhen Tram transport in China Railway lines opened in 2017 2017 establishments in China