The Shanghai metro is one of the youngest in the world and among the most rapidly expanding. After the first line opened only in 1995 as a north-south axis from the Central Station to the southern suburbs, by the end of 2007 the network had reached a total length of 227 km, with 161 stations and 8 lines!

Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9 are operated by Shanghai Metro Operation Co. Ltd., and lines 5 and 6 by Shanghai Modern Rail Transit Co. Ltd. (SMRT). All lines have 1435 mm standard gauge, with 1500 V dc being supplied via an overhead catenary. Standard platforms are 150-190 m long.