After the New Year holiday, the Yangtze River section of Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway in Jiangsu suddenly began to leak water, leading to an emergency closure during the evening rush hour, stranding thousands of passengers. The closures have caused a major inconvenience for many commuters in Nanjing, with some having to find alternative ways to travel to work, and some even opting to rent accommodations near their workplaces.
February 5 marked the first day back to work after the Chinese New Year holiday. That evening, several netizens from Nanjing posted videos online, showing that the Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway experienced a sudden malfunction during the evening rush hour, leaving thousands stranded. The emergency response by the subway authorities was poor, with no prior notice given. Although buses were arranged for transportation, the sheer number of people made it difficult to board the buses, and taxis were scarce, leaving many individuals standing outside in the cold night air waiting for transportation.
The videos circulated showed crowded subway stations and throngs of people waiting outside on both sides of the roads. The individual who posted the videos mentioned, “Nanjing’s Line 10 subway has come to a halt, and thousands are stranded on the street.”
According to reports, at 4:33 p.m. on February 5, the Jiangxin Island station to Linjiang station on Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway was shut down for both directions.
The sudden halt of Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway caused a massive inconvenience for countless commuters in Nanjing who needed to cross the river, requiring them to transfer to surface transportation. This not only increased their commute time and transportation costs but also exacerbated traffic congestion issues.
Mr. Ma, a resident of Nanjing, shared with the media that on the day in question, he was on his way home after work riding Line 10, but the subway stopped at the Green Expo Garden station, unable to cross the Yangtze River. Over a thousand passengers were left waiting on the streets, with the shuttle bus location unknown. Mr. Ma mentioned that he had already been waiting outside for over half an hour.
Some netizens expressed their frustrations, saying, “The first day back to work and it’s already a mess,” and “One malfunction and crossing the river becomes such a hassle. What about the development of the north of the river? It has become a joke now.”
Official information revealed that Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway officially began operations on July 1, 2014, as Nanjing’s first subway line to cross the Yangtze River. The line spans a total length of 21.6 kilometers, passing through Pukou District, Jianye District, and Yuhuatai District.
According to a message from the official WeChat account “Nanjing Subway” on the evening of February 9, the Nanjing Subway Group announced that a section of Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway had water seepage on February 5 – groundwater seepage near the intersection of Pukou Avenue and Hengjiang Avenue. The section from Jiangxin Island station to Linjiang station in both directions was closed for repair starting that day. It is expected to resume operation on March 1.
Since February 6, the section of Line 10 of the Nanjing Subway crossing the Yangtze River has been out of service, drawing significant attention to how Nanjing’s commuters will manage their daily commute.
According to the official Weibo account of the Nanjing Subway, during regular working days, the daily passenger flow on Line 10 typically ranges between 100,000 to 200,000 trips. Following the temporary shutdown, the daily passenger flow decreased to 50,000 to 100,000 trips.
In a report by Kanjian from Dahe Newspaper mentioned that the suspended segment was the Jiangxin Island station to Linjiang station in both directions, located at a crucial point connecting the north and south of the Yangtze River.
On the fifth day of the temporary shutdown, several Nanjing commuters who needed to cross the river for work were interviewed. Some opted to drive, while others searched for carpooling options or resorted to temporarily residing in guesthouses near their workplaces.
Mr. Hu, who drives across the river daily, mentioned that he had taken in a few strangers looking to carpool from Nanjing Subway Line 10’s “Yuantong station” to “Linjiang station.” “I don’t charge a fee; I’m just helping out,” said Mr. Hu. He noted that the roads were noticeably more congested these days, requiring him to leave home about twenty minutes earlier than usual.
Meanwhile, Ms. Xiao, who works in Wanhui City, chose to temporarily give up long-distance commuting. “My home is about 30 kilometers away from the office.” After the closure of Line 10 of the subway, she moved into a guesthouse near her workplace, paying 1,800 RMB per month.