Chengdu bus will run all night long from now on

A bus running from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starts service tonight.

Plans have been underway for night-bus service since June of this year. The proposal was met with controversy, with critics saying that nighttime bus service for bar and club-goers was "completely unnecessary" and that other transportation improvements should take priority.

Despite the naysaying, bus line No. 298 will run seven nights a week and make over 40 stops, most of them along the route of Metro Line 1. The route heads south from the North Train Station to Renmin Bei Lu, Wenshu Yuan, Renmin Zhong Lu, Luomashi, Yanshikou, Bingjiang Lu, Huaxiba, and Renmin Nan Lu before heading east to Moziqiao, Zhanglingsi, Kehua Zhong Lu, South Train Station, Yizhou Dadao, Fucheng Dadao, Gaoxin, Tianfu Dadao, and so on, until it reaches the New Exhibition Center.

The fare for the bus will be RMB3.

Bus 298 northbound departure times from New Exhibition Center:
22:00, 22:20, 22:40, 23:00, 23:20, 23:40, 0:00, 0:30,1:00,1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:00, 5:10, 5:20, 5:30

Bus 298 southbound departure times from North Train Station:
23:00, 23:20, 23:40, 0:00, 0:20, 0:40, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:00, 6:10, 6:20, 6:30

The Chengdu Public Transportation Group announced its intentions to add additional overnight bus routes along the First Ring Road, Second Ring Road, and other major roadways, depending on the outcome of this line.

Image source scol

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This article was posted by Jane and published October 11, 2010

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Comments

- Max JG
  October 12, 2010
- This is truly amazing!!!! I remember going to Hong Kong's lively bar scene on a Saturday night, and after thinking that at Hong Kong is too good to be true already, I found myself taking a 10 RMB night bus back to my hostel. For Chengdu to have this type of after-hours transportation system means it is truly a gem on the Mainland!!!! Thanks for the update Go CHENGDOO!!!!
- busedehen
  October 14, 2010
- I expect this experiment to die soon. Reason: no promotion and unrealistic numbers. At RMB3 the bus needs 180 passengers each ride if I understood the newspaper correctly. Have a look at the bus and tell me how many passengers can fit in. Yeah look at that piece of crap bus, made of wood, yeah great idea until you have to sit on the seats for more than 5min. As much as I like the idea of the night bus, the execution is as always meant to fail.
- spandolf
  October 19, 2010
- Clubbers come out of clubs in big groups - it is cheaper for them to get a taxi (if they can find one).
  Here is the North-South Chengdu thing again. The transport system in Chengdu (roads, buses and now subway) love to speed us from North to South. But try going East to West or West to East and you will be either stuck in a traffic jam in some narrow road, crawling from red light to red light on the first ring road or jammed in a bus that's so full you can't get out of it until you reach the bus terminus.
  It would be better to focus on the many buses services that end at 20:30; these are services within the second ring road. To end them at 20:30 is too early.
  An all night bus service is unnecessary, but extending the operating hours of some buses that serve the city center would be nice.
  Thanks
- MARC X
  October 21, 2010
- You want the bus system to be worthwhile, start by selling less cars. Geez, I can't believe how many cars are sold in this city daily. And more then half of them are for city use as well >> ARE YOU CRAZY!
  People, keep riding bikes for christsakes, this city doesn't need more cars! Less cars, more buses and taxi's >> Good!
- Richard
  November 5, 2010
- I livein Hua Yang. So the night bus is great but Hua yang is 5Km from my home and the city og Hua Yang. Why not have the bus stop near the town????? how many people live near the convention center. Taxis stilll don't like going that far... We will see