Dalian Subway map

History

Back in 2015 I have created a map for Dalian Metro that was opened same year.

In the very beginning it consisted of two lines - 1 and 2 + surface express train line 3 (opened in 2003).

By the end of 2015, line 1 was finished and connected with express train line 12.

in November 2021, line 13 was opened with connection to the express train line 3 and extended a convenient transportation option to the northern part of the city

Problem

For me, the original map was very hard to look at. It was like someone got the screenshot of Google Maps and added some colored lines on the map.

Transportation maps should not repeat the geographical layout of the map.

Solution

To make Dalian Metro map more appealing and functional, we should go away from the idea of following geographical layout of the area and switch to the goal of providing passengers how to get from one station to another (not showing them location on the map)

So far, Dalian public rail transit has 8 lines in operation, including metro, express train and light rail. I don't see any reason not to display all of them together.

There are quite a number of foreigners living in Dalian, to make this design inclusive, we must include English translation of station names together with Mandarin Chinese, that is local language.

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Each line gets its own color for better recognition. As an extra perk, each line is marked with the type of the rail operating on it - metro or light rail.

Because the high speed rail is widely used by millions of passengers every year, the indication where are high speed rail stations are is very crucial, making it easy getting there using public transit.

Although, there is no such thing as transfer outside of station, but showing passengers the walking distance and time between metro, light rail and express train will help them navigate better and have an idea how long will it take to switch from one line to another.

Due to big plans for expansion of Dalian metro network, lots of lines are still under construction. Indicating such segments will help passengers to keep in mind where or when the new lines will start operating.

Background

Below is the very first version of the map I have designed before even lines 1 and 2 started their normal operation. I have posted this version on local social media - Weibo and WeChat, and sent the concept to Dalian metro Group e-mail for consideration to work together on this map.

Couple of years after I saw that Dalian Metro Group has a new map printed out (on the left). Maybe it is a coincidence that both maps look alike, at the same time I don't reject a possibility that it was using my idea of how Dalian Metro map should look like. In both cases I feel proud and happy for local passengers.