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With the development of urban rail transit，on the one hand，it is promoting the process of urban modernization，easing congested traffic in cities，and narrowing the distance between time and space.On the other hand，it changes the way people travel，accelerates the pace of their life and work，and affects the quality of life.
The state of urban rail transit reflects a country’s global strength and is a symbol of a city’s modernization level.Currently，rail transit system is available in 135 cities in nearly 40 countries and regions.In cosmopolitan cities，accounting for a proportion of 60 percent-80 percent，rail transit has become the leading means of transportation in these cities.
Urban rail transit offers general advantages，like small land occupation，large traffic volume，high speed，non-pollution，low energy consumption，high safety and great comfort.With most facilities being installed underground and the operation going on underground，subways require very limited occupation of land，and do not compete with other means of transportation for space.Urban light rail，trolley bus as well as suburban rail and magnetic suspension train are basically railways，which makes it possible to make the most of land resources.
Urban rail transit system offers huge transport capacity.During rush hours，the maximum unidirectional transport capacity may reach up to 60，000-80，000 person-times per hour，which is unmatchable to other means of transportation.The hourly traveling speed of rail transit usually exceeds 70 kilometers，offering high punctuality.Moreover，mainly being hauled by electric locomotives，rail transit requires low energy consumption，and it causes little pollution to cities.Therefore，it is called“green transportation”.
From a macro perspective，urban rail transit plays an important role in improving the structure of urban transport，easing urban ground traffic congestion，and promoting the utilization efficiency of urban land.
However，compared with other means of transportation，rail transit has some drawbacks，like long construction cycle，heavy initial investment，slow withdrawal of funds and poor economic benefits in operation.For example，at present，the building of subway costs some RMB 500 million-700 million per kilometer；urban light rail and magnetic suspension train，RMB 200 million-300 million；trolley bus and suburban rail，about RMB 100 million.
In China，urban rail transit includes a broad range of urban and surburban electric passenger rail mass transit systems including subway，light rail，tram，commuter rail，APM and even maglev.Today China boasts both the world’s longest and second longest metro systems.Out of the top 10 busiest metro systems in the world，4 of them are in China.The first subway in China was built in Beijing in 1969.The Tianjin Metro followed in 1984.Since 2000，the growth of rapid transit systems in Chinese accelerated.The Shanghai Metro despite being the world’s third longest only started operating in 1995.From 2009 to 2015，China plans to build 87 mass transit rail lines，totaling 2，495km，in 25 cities at the cost of ￥ 988.6 billion.If current trends continue towards 2050，Chinese cities will have 11，700km of metro lines，accounting for at least half the world’s metro length.Of the new metro systems to be built between now and 2015，16％ will be in the Pearl River Delta，25％ in the Yangtze River Delta and 24％ in the Bohai region.As of 2012，China averages 270km of new rapid transit mileage per year.Hong Kong’s MTR was developed autonomously by the Hong Kong S.A.R.Government.The MTR now has investment and management stakes in the rapid transit systems of several mainland Chinese cities.
Currently，China urban rail transit has evolved from the startup stage to a period of stable，sustainable and orderly development.Among big cities with a population of over 2 million，those that already have or are building urban rail transit include Beijing，Tianjin，Shanghai，Guangzhou，Dalian，Shenzhen，Wuhan，Nanjing，Chongqing，Chengdu，Hangzhou，Shenyang，Xi’an，Harbin，Qingdao，Suzhou and Changchun，etc.
Nevertheless，there are some constraints to the development of rail transit in China.They mainly lie in three aspects：
First，there is severe shortage of construction funds.According to the foregoing planning，it is necessary to invest in approximately RMB 1，230 billion.Projects to be completed by 2012 alone require more than RMB 189.6 billion，while those to be completed by 2013 require more than RMB 220 billion.Furthermore，in most cases，funds come from investments of the central and local governments as well as bank loans.Still a developing country as it is，China has very limited financial strength.
Second，as rail transit is demanding on technical standard，some key technical facilities at low ratio of home making at present largely rely on imports.Thus，construction cost remains high due to the import of large quantity of technology and equipment.
Third，in most cases，rail transit operates at a loss in China.That aggregates the central and local governments’ financial burdens，which，in return，checks the development of rail transit to some extent.
For these reasones，China formulated the guideline of“doing what the strength allows，implementing rules-based management and pursuing stable development”.In the development of rail transit，it is required that homemade equipment should take up at least 70 percent.Meanwhile，it is essential to ensure that development of rail transit suits the pace of economic development in the cities and prevent blind development and irrational attempts to advance forward.
Questions for Discussion
1.What kind of advantages can urban rail transit offer？
2.Why is urban rail transit system called“green transportation”？