Line 1 (Wuhan Metro)

The Line 1 of Wuhan Metro (Chinese: 武汉轨道交通一号线) is an elevated metro line in the city of Wuhan, Hubei. It is the longest continuous metro viaduct in the world. Line 1 opened on 28 July 2004, making Wuhan the fifth city in mainland China to have a metro system after Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou. This is the first Metro line in China incorrectly referred to as a light rail (轻轨; qīngguǐ) line in Chinese terminology because it is elevated. Originally a branch line was planned to cross the Yangtze to Wuchang District via the Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. The Second Wuhan River Bridge even had a provision in the central median where Line 1 trains would run in anticipation for the branch line when it opened in 1995. However, by 2003 the reservation was removed to allow for more traffic lanes when the bridge was undergoing renovation.