China's deepest Metro station to open by end of 2017

The station's 32 elevators will be increased to 91 when it becomes a transfer station, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A subway station being built at a depth of 94 meters in China's Chongqing municipality will be the country's deepest metro facility when completed.

Hongtudi station, which opened on Line 6 years ago, is being further excavated underground for the new facility. The station is currently 60 meters deep.

Chongqing is known as a "mountain city" in China. Because of the hilly terrain and to avoid damaging air-raid shelters and pile foundation of street buildings, the station has to be built deep underground.

It currently takes commuters more than three minutes to get from the platform of Line 6 to the street by taking elevators, longer if they choose to climb the 354 steps.

The station's 32 elevators will be increased to 91 when it becomes a transfer station, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The extension, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year, will have high-speed elevators that drop 78.8 meters－about 26 stories－another national record, according to the city's transportation authorities.

In recent years, Chongqing is speeding up the construction of its subway system as the increasing number of vehicles on the road has caused traffic jams.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China had 4,153 kms of urban rail networks in operation across 30 cities until last year. Many Chinese cities are pushing forward the development of rail transit systems.

Reportedly, the Pyongyang Metro in North Korea is located 110 metres underground, making it the deepest system of its kind in the world.

PTI