On February 17, a sudden malfunction occurred on Line 11 of the Shenzhen Metro during the morning rush hour, causing a large number of passengers to be trapped in the train compartments for about 20 minutes.
Online videos show that after a subway train arrived at the station, the doors could not be opened, trapping many passengers inside. A staff member was seen using emergency switches one by one to open the compartment doors.
Many passengers took to social media to express their experiences, with one stating, “Line 11 of the Shenzhen Metro, towards the airport from Chegongmiao, malfunctioned, with a pile of fire extinguishers in the front. Also smelled a slight burnt odor.” Another said, “Scary. Everyone in the front car ran to the back.” One passenger mentioned, “I was on the one behind, stopped at Gangxia North for 20 minutes and it didn’t get fixed, eventually all had to get off and transfer.” Another passenger commented, “We stopped directly at Houhai, got off and took a taxi to the office.”
Some passengers mentioned that the malfunction resulted in “many people being late this morning” and “losing perfect attendance.”
On the morning of February 17, “Shenzhen Metro Line 11” surged in popularity on social media.
A passenger on the train told Jixu News that around 8:45 a.m., he boarded Shenzhen Metro Line 11 at Chegongmiao Station. While the train was in operation, a sudden impact was heard, and the metro came to a halt. The emergency switch was ineffective, and many passengers made emergency calls. It wasn’t until around 9:05 a.m. that the doors were finally opened, and passengers were trapped in the compartment for about 20 minutes, causing a fright.
According to three consecutive announcements by the “Shenzhen Metro,” during the morning rush hour, there was a delay in the direction from Bihaiwan Station to Gangxia North Station on Line 11 due to equipment malfunction. During this period, operations were temporarily suspended from Houhai Station to Futian Station, and bus shuttles were briefly activated. By the time the issue was resolved and full train services resumed, it was announced again at 9:47 a.m.