1958 10 According to the instructions of the municipal party committee and municipal government, the Shanghai Municipal Construction Committee set up a subway preparation office composed of the municipal planning institute, the railway bureau, the municipal design institute, the coal mine design institute, the East China Industrial Design Institute, etc., to plan and study the construction of Shanghai subway and set up a river-crossing research institute. During the period of 1960, the subway preparation office and the river crossing office merged to form the design research office of the tunnel engineering bureau, which was mainly engaged in the experimental research of shield tunnels and immersed tunnels. 1962 merged into the tunnel of Shanghai Urban Construction Bureau. During this period, the design and construction of Project 6402 (i.e., hengshan road Metro Test Project), the study of shield tunnel crossing the river on Dapu Road and the experimental study of immersed tunnel were carried out.
1965, the tunnel design institute was formally established, engaged in the design and research of subway and river-crossing tunnels, and started the design of Dapu river-crossing tunnel project.
1969 Tunnel Design Institute was merged into Shanghai Tunnel Company, and the design room of the tunnel company was established, which was engaged in municipal engineering design such as water intake and drainage tunnels and urban interchanges. 1982 the design institute of tunnel company was established, and the design and research work of the tunnel test section of Cao Bao section of subway and the north line of Yan 'an East Road was started.
1985, Shanghai municipal government re-established Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Design Institute.
1997, which was renamed as Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Rail Transit Design and Research Institute.