Tram Line One, from Suzhou Amusement Park Station to Longkang Rd. Station, is put into operation on Oct.26th. [Photo/Suzhou Daily]

Tram Line One in Suzhou was officially put into operation on October 26th, and the first 50 passengers were given roses.

In the ten days from Oct.12 to 21, tens of thousands of people experienced the trial run for free. Each trial ride ticket provided a round trip for the ticket holder.

During the trial operation, the tram ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with a train interval of 15 minutes. However, after the tram was in full service, the running time was extended from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It takes a tram 42 minutes to travel a single trip from Suzhou Amusement Park Station to Longkang Rd. Station. Free Wi-Fi is provided both in the tram and on the platform.

Ticket price of Tram Line One depends on the distance. Fares are set at two yuan ($0.3) within 10 kilometers, and three yuan for distance beyond 10 kilometers. People with a citizen card can get a 70 percent discount, elder people between 60 to 65 years old and students with the student’s identity card can get a 50 percent discount, while people aged 70 years or older, retired cadres, the disabled, and pupils at compulsory education are free to the tram. And a child shorter than 1.2 meters with the company of an adult can also enjoy free access. In the future, one-way tickets, seasonal tickets, and yearly cards will be provided to citizens successively. Operators said that the minimum waiting time of the tram is expected to be reduced to less than 10 minutes in 2015 according to citizen’s demands.