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Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, some 500 km west of Guangzhou; 3 million inhabitants in urban area.

32.1 km east-west line, 25 stations

28 June 2016: Nanhu - Nanning East Railway Station (11.2 km)
28 Dec 2016: Nanhu - Shibu (20.9 km)

 Line 2

27.3 km north-south line, 23 stations

28 Dec 2017: Xijin - Yudong (21 km)
23 Nov 2020: Yudong - Tanze (6.3 km)

 Line 3

27.9 km north-south line, 23 stations

06 June 2019: Keyuan Dadao - Pingliang Overpass (27.9 km)
10 Sept 2020: Donggouling station

 Line 4

20.7 km east-west line, 16 stations

23 Nov 2020: Hongyun Lu - Lengtangcun (20.7 km)

 Line 5

20.2 km northeast-south line, 17 stations

16 Dec 2021: Jinqiao Coach Station - Guokai Dadao (20.2 km)

Nanning Rail Transit (Official Site)

Nanning Metro at Wikipedia

In June 2019, Craig Moore reports from Nanning:

Although Nanning is not as bustling and dynamic as the cities in the east, it has a growing economy and is endowed with wonderful scenery, a pleasant subtropical climate, and a delightful mix of ethnic groups, the largest being Zhuang (Zhuang is the largest minority group in China and approx. 90% live in Guangxi). NNRT (Nanning Rail Transit) operates a fully underground network of three lines. The metro began operations in 2016 with the eastern section of Line 1 from Nanhu Lake to Nanning East Railway Station and has gradually expanded in the intervening period with the current network totalling 79.2 revenue km.

From the street, there are two things to notice about the NNRT system. Firstly, there are plentiful, stylish directional signs in the vicinity of the stations. This is very useful and quite rare in China. Secondly, the entrance portico on the street is unique in style, the angular structure having ethnic design arrangements as part of the structure, along with totem. These provide an indication of what lies below. Entrance halls have customary structures and facilities as is the norm in China: banks of ticket machines against exterior walls (blue tokens with distance based fares 2-7 Yuan), security lines, customer office, station vicinity/information boards and strategically placed ticket gates to simplify passenger flows. There is a central lift and stairs to platforms, with escalators/stairs at the ends of the space. The platforms are in island form (occasional side platforms i.e. Landong) with pillars, full screens topped by line map, information board/schematics, seating, and RTI screens. They are all well maintained and directional signage throughout is excellent. Each line brings with it a different style based on local culture and these are expressed through pillar, wall and ceiling designs/motifs. The other thing to note is that station names and signs/information are in English, Mandarin and Zhuang.

The longest and busiest line, Line 1 (31.4km/25 stations/56mins) runs east-west from the huge CRH station in the east via the Exibitions Zone/Jinhu Sq (transfer to Line 3) and Nanhu Lake into the main centre at Chaoyong Sq and Nanning Railway Station, where services are interlaced with Line 2 (see below). The line then heads west again to the universities area and Shibu. The stations have green trim on pillars and variated diamond motifs, along with graphical images of local fauna, traditional houses etc. There are also selections of large plants on the platforms, which add to the pleasantness. This line also has significant amounts of advertising on platforms/mezzanines when compared.

Eighteen months after the first section of Line 1 had opened, NNRT began operations on Line 2. This north-south line (20.4km/18 stations/37mins) connects Xijin and Yudong, serving the two main bus stations (Anji and Jiangnan). The stations on this line have a beautiful circular design motif on pillars and several ceiling designs, all of which are impressive. Nanning Theater station also has an impressive art work on platform stair side walls. In the centre, the line merges with Line 1 to the south of Chaoyang Square and runs together to Nanning Railway Station, before separating immediately north of the station. These stations offer cross platform transfer between the lines and have broader platforms to contain high passenger numbers. Chaoyang Square is a stacked station with the northbound Line 2/eastbound Line 1 platform below the southbound Line 2/westbound Line 1 platform. Nanning Railway Station platforms are on a single level but parallel, with northbound Line 2/westbound Line 1 platform to the south of the southbound Line 2/eastbound Line 1 platform. You have to climb to the mezzanine and cross the space to the parallel platforms.

A further 18-month gap brought the opening of Line 3 (June 2019). This line skirts the urban area in the north and east from the northern area of Keyuan Avenue to Pingliang overpass in the south east of the city (27.4km/22 stations/48mins). The line has transfer to Line 2 at Anji bus station with a well signed, simple perpendicular transfer to Line 2 above. Xiaojicun is a beautiful station with circular pillars and Donggouling looks complete, although trains crawl through as it is unopened. Given its course, this is the least used of the lines but is busiest around Binhu Lu and Jinhu Square. This is the transfer station for Line 1 and sits to the north of Line 1, transfer requiring a walk along an angled passage to the alternate station. As with all transfers, these are well signed with hanging/wall signs and large floor stickers. Stations on Line 3 are very smart, with pitched/angular ceilings and pillars having various etchings of famous buildings from around the world. The pillars are also sunk into the ceilings and surrounded by subtle lighting. Images don’t do justice to how elegant these look along the platform.

The trains on all lines are quite similar. All are of 6 cars and have smart frontage and white side exteriors with coloured trim associated with line designation. The interiors are clean and bright (especially the new Line 3 CRRC stock) and have chrome side seating with seating end plates and grab handles in line colour. The older Line 1 trains have dot progression line maps, whilst the newer lines have dynamic strips with different levels of details scrolling through as you travel between stations. There are occasional system schematic maps although these are quite skeletal and screen/audio announcements in Mandarin and English. There are also many announcements and posters on expected behaviour (e.g. being quiet, orderly).

Using the system is very easy. Wayfinding is excellent and future proofed to encompass new extensions/lines. There are plentiful maps of the system (quite distinctive looking but gaunt and overly angular). Staff are warm and friendly and are always willing to help. There is limited hard copy information available, but it really doesn’t matter – this is a very ‘comfortable’ system to use. Headways are 6/7mins (5mins on Line 1) and services operate from 0630-2330.

Although the rapidity of metro opening is China is staggering, this metro shows how the ‘grand plan’ is indeed still a work in progress. With staggered openings, Nanning has created a lovely, well used, metro with good coverage and service levels, and stylish features. Planned, built and operated with much ardour, this is an impressive system in a wonderful, if out of the way, part of the world.