THE WORLD’S LONGEST SUBWAY LINE COMPLETES THE ODYSSEY OF OVER 103 MILES IN CHINA
BEIJING — January 17, 2025 — In a monumental achievement of urban engineering, the city of Shanghai has officially opened the world’s longest continuous subway line, a route that officials are calling “the odyssey” of modern transit. The new line, spanning 103.3 miles, connects the city’s eastern outskirts to its western suburbs, traversing 47 stations and reducing cross-city travel time from three hours to under 90 minutes.
WHAT: The inauguration of the Line 28 extension, now recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest single subway line globally, surpassing the Beijing Subway’s previous record of 62.2 miles. The route features driverless trains, AI-powered crowd management systems, and underground art installations.
WHO: The Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, in collaboration with the China State Railway Group, oversaw the project. Over 50,000 workers and engineers contributed to its construction, which began in 2019.
WHEN: The line became fully operational on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 6:00 AM local time. A ceremonial first ride was attended by city officials and international transit experts.
WHERE: The route begins at Songjiang University Town in the west and terminates at Pudong International Airport in the east, passing through commercial districts, residential zones, and the historical Bund area. The path was designed to mimic the circular journey of Homer’s epic poem, with five “chapter stations” featuring murals of mythical voyages.
WHY: Officials stated that the project was essential to alleviate chronic congestion on surface roads and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 200,000 tons annually. The term “the odyssey” was adopted to symbolize the line’s role as a long, transformative journey for commuters, linking disparate communities with unprecedented efficiency. The