Abstract: Vigorously promoting the high-level construction of new towns is a strategic proposition for the development of Shanghai in the new era. As an important infrastructure of urban development, rail transit plays a strategic, fundamental and guiding role in promoting the high-quality economic and social development of new towns. By briefly reviewing the development process of Shanghai rail transit network planning, from the perspective of passenger flow characteristics of existing lines in the new towns and drawing on the experience of international metropolis development, development strategy of rail transit in the new towns is put forward. Core-strategy should be based on providing high-quality service of the whole travel chain and maximizing the time-cost effectiveness. It is necessary to build rail transit express lines, to strengthen the network connection at both ends of the express lines, speeding up the formation of three-dimensional transportation network. Express line planning of urban rail transit should be studied as soon as possible and incorporated into the comprehensive transportation planning system of new towns.