The Shenzhen Metro Company issued 3,000 Metro guide booklets Sunday (Nov. 28) to provide passengers with details of the new subway system.

Passengers will have to pay an extra five yuan (US$0.8), the maximum for a single ticket, if the Metro automatic system shows they have been on the subway for more than two hours, the guide says.

This is to prevent passengers from staying too long in the subway, the Metro Company said.

No smoking is allowed and animals are also prohibited.

The four kinds of fares are a single (one-way) ticket, prepaid ticket, preferential ticket (with 50 percent discount) for students and free tickets for the elderly, disabled servicemen and policemen.

Men over the age of 70 and women over 65, with certificates granted by the city's association for the elderly, are entitled to free travel.

Disabled servicemen and policemen need certificates issued by the city's civil affairs bureau. Blind people with certificates granted by the city's association for the disabled are also entitled to travel free.

The initial fare is set at two yuan for the first three stations and one yuan for each of the three additional sections. Each section has four stations. The journey from Luohu to Window of the World on Line 1 will cost five yuan.

Phase I of Shenzhen Metro, to open Dec. 28, comprises Line 1 from Luohu to Window of the World and Line 4 from Huanggang Checkpoint to the Children's Palace. The total length of Phase I is 21.8 kilometers with 15 stations on Line 1 and five stations on Line 4.

Metro Line 1 trains will run at 15-minute intervals. The journey from Luohu to the Window of the World will take about 25 minutes.

The Metro Company said they had prepared 76 plans to tackle various emergencies from minor problems on ticket vending machines to terrorist activities.

More than 100 train drivers and 50 station directors have received one-year training in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

A team of 300 volunteer firefighters has been established inside the company.

Editor: Olivia