Shen Shifang was one of Shanghai’s first Metro drivers. In 1990 he went to Beijing to learn to drive a train and soon became an ace in his team.

Legend has it that 10 years later Shen again went to Beijing, this time as a tourist. He was on the subway when the train somehow broke down. The train driver spotted Shen and asked him to help fix the problem.

Shen recalls how in the 18 months of operations, when only the 6.6-kilometer segment of Line 1 between Jinjiang Park and Xujiahui was open, the line was more a sightseeing vehicle than a vector of commuting.

“Curious passengers at that time would come to the driver’s cabin to have a look around and ask questions,” said Shen. “We were half driver, half tour guide.”

In 2003, when Shanghai was named host city for the World Expo 2010, plans were made to extend the Metro to 400 kilometers.

“We had 65 kilometers in 2003,” he said. “By 2007, 116 stations were under construction at the same time.”

As the public transportation network evolved, more human touches and more new technology were added.

Zhao’s “dragon” is now electric and air-conditioned. There is a Metro station near most bus stops on his route. Most people use public transport cards and since October, passengers have been able to just swipe their smartphone. The Metro payment app can be used by passengers to buy tickets in Hangzhou and Ningbo in neighboring Zhejiang Province. More Yangtze River Delta cities will join the system soon.

“Back in the day, the coin box on the bus was often so full of coins and notes that I could hardly lift it on my own,” said Zhao. “But now, there is only about 20 yuan (US$2.95) in the box. And the ticket price is 2 yuan.”