Passengers can travel between Kunshan and downtown Shanghai by subway within 70 minutes

The Y-shaped Shanghai　Subway　Line 11 has　extended　one of its branches to Huaqiao in Kunshan, a county-level city of Suzhou. The Huaqiao extension makes week-end trips between Kunshan and Shanghai a lot more convenient.

The six-kilometer extension of Line 11 was approved by the cen-tral government in September 2010, at a cost of 1.85 billion yuan ($300.1 million), and construc-tion began in June 2011. The de-sign and construction of the sta-tions along the Huaqiao extension are the same as those in Shanghai, including signs and the shape of the stations, the line's operator said.

Line 11 is the first subway line in Shanghai to cross the border into another province. The Huaqiao ex-tension, built on elevated tracks, starts at Anting in Shanghai with three stops in Kunshan city –Zhaofenglu station, Guangminglu station and Huaqiao station. The trains arrive at the stations every 10 to 15 minutes.

Passengers travelling on Line 11 can transfer to at least eight other subway lines (Line 1-4, Line 6, 8, 9 and 11) in Shanghai.

The test operation began last Wednesday morning and trains will run on the extension between 5am and 11pm. A trip from Huaqiao station to Xujiahui sta-tion in Xujiahui, one of the busiest shopping areas in Shanghai, takes 70 minutes and only costs seven yuan.

Six bus lines in Kunshan have been launched in connection with the new subway line. Passengers who exit from Huaqiao station can easily transfer to the long-distance bus station and the high-speed train station in Kunshan, as well as attractions like Zhouzhuang and Jinxi watertowns. Buses will also run between the three stations in Kunshan and Suzhou Subway Line 1, making it easier for residents in Suzhou to travel to Shanghai.

Kunshan transport officials said they will introduce new bus routes to Huaqiao station so that visitors from Shanghai will be able to ac-cess the city's scenic spots.

A new subway line named "S1" that is expected to connect Kun-shan city and downtown Suzhou is being planned, according to the Suzhou Development and Reform Commission.

Line 11, colored maroon on sys-tem maps and extending 65 kilo-meters, is the longest subway line in Shanghai, connecting Jiading District to the Pudong New Area. It is an important traffic link in the northwest of the city, comprising three phases.

The third phase, planned to be completed by 2020, will connect Luoshan Road to Huanglou where Shanghai Disney Resort will be located.