Guniangqiao Station, located in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district, serves as the eastern terminal of Hangzhou Metro Line 5 and the western terminal of Shaoxing Metro Line 1. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

The metro networks of Hangzhou and Shaoxing, two neighboring cities in East China's Zhejiang province, will soon be connected. This is an unprecedented move by any two separate Chinese cities.

According to a cooperation agreement signed on Aug 4 by Hangzhou Metro Group and Shaoxing Rail Transit Group, the operators of the two cities' metro systems, a passenger will be able to transfer between Shaoxing Metro Line 1 and Hangzhou Metro Line 5 at Guniangqiao Station in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district, a terminal for both lines. Passengers will not even need to check out during this process.

For example, a person riding on Shaoxing Metro Line 1 will be able to get off the train on the B2 floor of the line's western terminal and then take a lift to the B1 floor, where the platform for Hangzhou Metro Line 5 is located.

The first section of Shaoxing Metro Line 1, spanning a length of 20 kilometers and stopping at 10 stations, is still under construction and is expected to begin operating in July 2021. The two terminals in the section are Diyang Road Station in Shaoxing's Keqiao district, and Guniangqiao Station in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district, where people will be able to transfer between the two metro systems.

The trains on the metro line are set to run at speeds of 120 kilometers per hour and complete the inter-city trip within 25 minutes.

According to Gao Weizhong, a senior engineer at Shaoxing Rail Transit Group, metro tickets and public transit cards purchased in either Shaoxing or Hangzhou are now recognized in both cities. Once the first section of Shaoxing Metro Line 1 is operational, anyone crossing between the two cities will simply need to go to the nearest metro station in either city and buy a single ticket.