The operator has improved Metro Line 7’s operation capacity by cutting down trains’ departure intervals and extending service hours, sources from Shenzhen Metro Group said.

Starting yesterday, the departure intervals of trains running on Line 7 were shortened by 10 seconds to three minutes and 35 seconds during morning and evening rush hours on workdays. During weekends’ rush hours, the departure intervals will be shortened by 25 seconds to four minutes. The line also introduced half-way final trains after the normal service hours.

During workdays in July, Line 7 handled a daily average of 563,000 passengers. On weekends, it handled an average of 413,000 passengers a day.

The optimization of the operation will increase the capacity by carrying 5.11 percent more passengers during workdays and 6.51 percent more passengers during weekends.

Early trains from Huanggangcun toXiliduring workdays will depart two to six minutes earlier. The early trains fromXiliLake to Shenyun and from Shawei to Tianbei will be earlier by three to five minutes. On weekends, the first train from Shenyun toXiliwill be earlier by five minutes, while those fromXiliLake to Antuo Hill and from Chegongmiao to Tianbei will depart three to seven minutes earlier, according to a release of Shenzhen Metro Group.

The half-way final trains have been deployed after the end of the normal service hours at 11 p.m. every day. The operator has arranged four to five half-way final trains from Tai’an to Antuo Hill and fromXiliLake to Shenyun, at intervals of six minutes or 7.5 minutes. The service time of the two sections extends about 30 minutes.