Did you know the world’s deepest subway station is roughly the equivalent of a 40-story skyscraper? Hongyancun Station in Chongqing, China is a whopping 116 meters below ground and we got to ride a train from it!
On a recent trip to China, we made it a point to check out and ride a train from the world’s deepest metro station, although it wasn’t part of our tour.
I always find riding trains a novelty and fun experience during trips abroad. I’ve experienced navigating trains in other Asian cities, like Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, as well as older train systems in Europe and even our own PNR from Naga to Legazpi. However, China’s futuristic trains felt like light years ahead of anything I’ve ever experienced.
Chonging’s train infrastructure is engineered on an insanely different level. The sprawling mountainous megacity in southwestern China also has a monorail train that passes right through a residential building (Liziba Station), which we also visited another day.
Most subway stations are usually located just a few stories beneath street level. You usually descend an escalator or climb down a flight of stairs to reach the train platform. The deepest point of the Hongyancun Station on Line 9 of the Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) in China lies a staggering 116 meters or 39 stories below ground.
Just imagine the height of a building slightly taller than London’s Big Ben (96m) or the 39th-floor observatory of the towering Umeda Sky Building in Osaka, but deep below ground.
This station which opened in January 2022 in the Yuzhong District, is said to be exactly twice the depth of London’s deepest underground station.
Chonging’s hilly topography is makes their urban architecture quite unique as many modern buildings have multiple ground floors and levels, with many built against or into cliffs and mountains.
Hongyancun Station has two main entrances, numbered 2 and 4, with a significant vertical height difference of 141 meters. The entrances are significantly far apart due to the station’s depth.
From our hotel, we took a cab to Entrance 4, where we descended a seven-segment escalator from the ground level to the 116m station. If you’re using the escalator, it’ll take roughly 8 to 10 minutes to go all the way down to the main platform.
While we didn’t try the elevator, the journey takes less than a minute to get to the platform from ground level. Some passengers who opt to whiz down through the elevator have reported their ears popping due to the rapid pressure change, which you normally only experience during takeoff and landing in airplanes or fast descents/ascents via cable car.
Meanwhile, if you were to take the stairs, you’d need to descend 860 steps to reach the deepest platform.
Interestingly,Chongqing hosts a Hongyancun Metro Vertical Marathon. Runners climb 860 steps from the deepest subway station with a 141-meter vertical elevation gain within the metro station. This unique urban adventure highlights Chongqing’s challenging terrain and the engineering marvel.
Since we were already in the station, we decided to take a random train ride from it before taking a cab back to our hotel.
At first glance, the system looked overwhelming since the CRT operates 12 different lines, covering a total of approximately 561 km of track, with more expansions planned in the future. We experienced some challenges with the language barriers in China, but thankfully, the automated kiosks had English translations for the routes and accepted cash.
Based on the kiosk, the fare is distance-based, and typically costs around 2–10 RMB, with most charges capped at 7RMB or roughly Php 55. Our ride from Hongyancun Station to Liyuchi Station on Line 9 cost only Php 25.50 each.
If you’re a fan of railway travel or happen to be in Chongqing and are looking for something fun and unique to do aside from the usual spots like Hongyadon Cave, you might want to try visiting the Hongyancun Station and riding from there for yourself.
NOTE: This visit to China was organized by BASK Travel and Tours. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming schedules, dates, and other tour offerings.
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