Chongqing Monorail: The Train That Goes Through a 19-Story Building

The world is full of architectural mistakes and questionable engineering decisions, but we also find unorthodox solutions that initially leave us speechless, only to afterward prove that they work well. That is the case of Line 2 of the train service in the municipality of Chongqing, which has its Liziba Station inside a residential structure, occupying three floors. In other words, the train goes through the entire building.

Every region has its infrastructure quirks, but it is not hard to imagine that China gives us a run for our money. For example, a year ago we talked about the concept of 'nail houses', with owners who resist the demolition of their properties, creating contrasts that seem straight out of a cartoon. Space problems are frequent, and although the pandemic has put a stop to many projects, the 'peaks' of development tend to be quite impressive.

Thus we arrive at the municipality of Chongqing, which comfortably exceeds 30 million inhabitants. Its rail system has more than 270 vehicles distributed across eight lines, but today we are interested in Line 2 of the monorails, more specifically, in its Liziba Station in the Yuzhong district. While elevated stations are not exactly rare, Liziba stands out for one reason: it was built inside a residential building.

The train that goes through a building

Many portals indicate that the station and the train passage were decisions made after the building's construction, but that is not the case. Liziba opened its doors in 2004, formally occupying floors 6, 7, and 8, out of a total of 19 available. Now, at this point it is logical to ask what happens with the noise. Between the activity of passengers and the operation of the train, living there should be a nightmare. However, the designers of the station and the building took care to isolate the area with special equipment and materials. For residents, the maximum noise is like a dishwasher.

Still, I think I would like to hear one or two local opinions, but we cannot deny that it is a very interesting solution. What do you think? Would you live in that building with quick access to a train station? Leave a comment!