Why the Shanghai Subway Makes New York's Look Primitive

Simon's Social Media:

This video is #sponsored by NordPass.

Love content? Check out Simon's other YouTube Channels:

[Mohamed-bcon]

I went on the Shanghai metro in 2015, and I was astounded. The network was so vast and deep down, you could take journeys of escalators going down or up, especially in an interchange station. Thousands would be on their phones because wifi was already widespread underground. Everything was so seemless and in order, and was very cheap. I went back to the Toronto TTC subway line, and I couldn't help myself but chuckle everytime I got into one of those trains.

[Nedlius]

I rode the Shanghai metro last week and it was fucking awesome. super clean, cheap, easy to navigate, and had consistently fast service. literally no negative experiences with it

[ssomms]

In New York, you just want to get in and get out when you arrived your destination as soon as possible. To get away from the smell and stay safe. In China, you actually want to spend time in the subway area, like a mini mall. Where there is small shops and many things to see.

[MarkScott-nf]

I am living in China at the moment and I still get nerdily excited about the metro system here in Qingdao. It's a very new transport network and new lines opening practically every year. Having grown up in Northern Ireland which has a grand total of three railway lines for the whole province and no local bus services after 9 pm, I will never take the infrastructure here for granted. Ok some hungover mornings on the way to work I do get annoyed when I have just missed a train and have to wait a whole 6 minutes for the next one. Then I remember my old commute to and from Belfast when the train would arrive 10 minutes after the bus to my hometown had already left and it was a 45 minute wait for the next bus. And then I laugh.

[hectfab]

I use the Shanghai subway everyday to go to work and it’s the best subway system I have used in my life compare with other countries, it’s fast, cheap, clean and safe, it’s just an amazing system.

[TheMightyZwom]

I was in Shanghai for a business trip twice so far and their metro is awesome. Yes, it is clean, yes it is punctual and as someone who can't read Chinese - you will easily find out where you are and where you need to go. It is also easy to use (you have a card that is charged with money and you pay for ride semi-automatically).

[joshafc]

Every underground system in the world makes the New York system look like you're going back in time

[rtzx]

Used it from its begining until 2019. Fantastic is the word I use to describe it. Best I have been on including many newer systems HK, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo etc. Beijing's is as well as many others in China also very good. What makes their systems even better is that they connect up seamlessly with all the other transport systems be it long distance rail 3 main stations, the two airports or the long distance bus stations. Same in Beijing and Guangzhou, etc

[rtweugene]

I grew up in Shanghai, and as a kid and therefore being shorter than everyone, I was constantly frustrated about the crowds in the Shanghai subway that I loathed taking it for a while. After going to college in NYC and experiencing the old, cranky, and dark NYC metro, coming back to Shanghai and taking its subway felt like a luxury - I would take it whenever I can. The city government has promised that there will be a subway station within 1km’s walk, and as I am typing up this comment, line 21 is being constructed and a station is being built in front of my apartment - watching the construction progress is really astounding, for you could see significant progress being made every week.

[KarlDMarx]

I used metros in a few Chinese cities: Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Foshan and Guangzhou ... Amazingly reliable and clean and reasonably priced. Shenzhen had an interesting feature: different lines on the same level for easy connection.

[SEAZNDragon]

As a Houstonian, the scale comparison made me laugh. We have a three line above ground light rail in our downtown that’s 20 years old. I can’t imagine a subway.

[pbworld]

I love how the word 'authoritarian' just had to make an appearance in this video, as if western countries aren't authoritarian in certain aspects.

[Max_Flashheart]

I rode the Maglev from Shanghai Airport to downtown and someone asked why there were no seatbelts. 430 Kmh was smooth and looked quick.

[onetwothreefour-sn]

Shanghai metro line 11 just connected last month, June 2023 to the neighboring Suzhou metro line 11. You can now travel seamlessly between the 2 giant cities. Tim Chambers on YouTube has some videos on it and all the other china railroads for any enthusiasts. More lines between Shanghai and Suzhou are in the works. Suzhou is about 8 million people or so. Rm transit channel helps break down why the systems can be built so quickly.

[rjona]

I lived in Shanghai from 2014 to 2018. My apartment was on line 2. I would go to
City center every weekend and on the other end of Line 2 was the airport. Before i left they added the line to Disney Shanghai. There was a new line (15 or 12 i think) that brought to strawberry fields near Shanghai

[daveacbickford]

I've travelled on the Maglev and Subway run to Hongqaio airport to then get on the high speed train to Nanjing and it was a fascinating and spectacular journey, and totally agree it was super easy to navigate as an Australian who can't read or understand Chinese characters/Mandarin language, at no point did I feel lost, very cool experience 😊😊

[sugarsweethoney]

As Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader once said 'it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mice'. Chinese r very pragmatic people, they don't care what system or name u give it as long as it achieves results which give them better, safety and stability in life. In fact, they absolutely abhor the Western style in which everyone is divided into different groups/parties all fighting each other wasting time, resources and energy, nothing ever gets done. Worse the country practically goes into a civil war every few years when the elites go in for a power grab. The winner is usually the one with the most money and able to use the fake news and lies media to brainwash the population with their propaganda to vote for them.

[maartentoors]

In Amsterdam we recently built the Noord-Zuidlijn (North-Southline).
It took 16 years to build a 10KM line with just 8 stops.
There must be a lesson here.

[jzeng]

It was supposed to be a technical video discussing the subway system, but the vlogger didn't forget to mention the "dictatorship" government at the end. It doesn't really matter whether the Chinese government is a dictatorship or an authoritarian government. The dictatorship's massive investment in public infrastructure has allowed the Chinese people to enjoy convenient, cheap, and efficient commuting. As a Chinese, there is really nothing to complain about.

[Mennion]

When I first arrived in Shanghai, I took the Maglev to the connecting subway station and it only took around 8 minutes. When I left Shanghai, we took the bus and it took an hour and a half.