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A Shaoxing BRT Line 1 bus. [Photo/Tide News]

After nearly 13 years of operation, Shaoxing's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system changed its name as well as that of several routes on Feb 12. BRT Line 1 and Line 5 have been redesignated as Express Bus 71 and Express Bus 75, respectively, with the BRT name phased out — though the original routes remain unchanged. The move marks the quiet retirement of a transport system that defined a chapter in the city's public transit history.

The story of BRT in Shaoxing began with the opening of Shaoxingbei Railway Station in July 2013. BRT Line 1 was launched a few days earlier, in late June, becoming the first rapid transit link between the downtown area and the new high-speed rail hub. Equipped with dedicated lanes, traffic signal priority, and platform fare collection, BRT offered speed and reliability that quickly won over commuters. At its peak, daily ridership exceeded 10,000.

But urban mobility has since diversified. With the arrival of metro services, rising car ownership, and the spread of bike-sharing, bus ridership has steadily declined. BRT Line 1 now carries around 1,900 passengers per day, a fraction of its former volume.

According to Shaoxing Public Transport Group, the renaming is not a withdrawal but a reclassification. Both lines have been incorporated into the express bus category to standardize the city's route numbering system.

The BRT name may be gone, but the routes remain — still running, still connecting. And for many, the memory of stepping off the train at Shaoxingbei and heading straight for the BRT platform will stay, quietly carried forward with each passing bus.