Chengdu Metro Cooling Areas Open Across 489 Stations

Chengdu Metro cooling areas are available free of charge at all 489 stations as a heat wave brings high summer temperatures to the capital of Sichuan Province. Residents and tourists can use the facilities to cool down and rest.

The areas occupy common parts of the stations, with their location adapted to local conditions. Chengdu Metro considered station layouts, passenger volumes and congestion when deciding where to place them. The operator’s goal is to help people escape the heat without disrupting regular operations.

The program spans one of the world’s largest urban rail systems. Chengdu is considered to have the fourth-longest metro network globally, with more than 700 km of lines. Its extension across ⁠all 489 metro stations makes it a large-scale urban initiative.

Chengdu first introduced cooling spaces in its metro in 2022. At the time, the program was presented as the first initiative of its kind in China’s urban rail transit sector.

Air-conditioned waiting rooms above ground

Above-ground stations can become especially hot because their platforms are directly exposed to sunlight. Where space permits, Chengdu Metro has provided ⁠air-conditioned waiting rooms equipped with seats.

The rooms are intended especially for passengers waiting for trains during periods of extreme heat. Onboard, passengers can choose temperature-controlled railcars with high, medium or low cooling levels, depending on their preferences and sensitivity to air conditioning.

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Rest and work spaces at major hubs

Some Chengdu Metro cooling areas provide more than seating and air conditioning. At several major transport hubs, facilities are available for people who need to remain at the station longer.

Incubation Park and Century City, along with the Chengdu South and Chengdu East transport hubs, offer reading areas, temporary workspaces and rest facilities.

Operational figures cited by Chengdu Metro indicate that a typical station’s cooling area receives approximately 100 visitors each day. At the busiest hubs, daily use can reach several hundred people.

What changes for passengers?

Chengdu Metro has also opened its first pilot area combining free cooling space with convenience services at the F entrance of Chengdu University of TCM & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital station. Located near two major general hospitals, the rest area is intended mainly for patients and accompanying visitors. It retains free public seating, adds light catering and self-service flower sales, and uses lighting adjusted for resting and reading. A Chengdu Rail Transit Resources Management representative said the model could be expanded if users respond positively.

Chengdu Metro plans summer service adjustments

The operator intends to adjust its summer services in response to weather forecasts and feedback from the public.

During periods of high temperatures, the free cooling and rest areas give the network an additional role for residents, tourists and people in transit. Alongside their transport function, Chengdu’s stations offer air-conditioned places where people can cool down, rest or spend time.