Chengdu Metro


The Chengdu Metro is the rapid transit system of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China. The system opened with Line 1 on 27 September 2010, and the system now has fifteen subway lines and one light rail line. It has subsequently undergone rapid expansion. Since the opening of Lines 6, 8, 9, and 17 on 18 December 2020, the Chengdu Metro is the 4th longest metro system in the world.
There are currently 17 operating subway lines totaling of track, and 1 tram line covering. The Chengdu Metro serves about 6 million trips per day. As of 2021, about 2.2 million and 4.6 million people live within of a subway station in Chengdu, respectively.

Operating network

There are 17 subway lines covering with 449 stations, and a light rail line with 36 stops covering.

Line 1

The first phase of Line 1 cost 7 billion yuan to construct. A natural ventilation system has been used in the underground section of Line 1 on the subway system from Southern Third Ring Road to Jincheng Plaza Station. Square ventilation units are built every along the subway top to allow fresh air from the ground enter the construction site underground. The method is used in subway construction in other countries as it cuts the construction cost and it saves energy. The subway system is the first in China to adopt such a ventilation system during construction. Chengdu Metro is planning to set up a section for subway fire control and introduce the latest fire fighting technologies and vehicles. Line 1's color is dark blue.

Line 2

Line 2 is a crosstown northwest–southeast trunk route. This line serves the Chengdu East railway station. Line 2 began operation on 16 September 2012. An long mostly elevated extension to Longquanyi began testing in April 2014 opened in October 2014. Line 2's color is orange.

Line 3

Line 3 runs in a northeast–southwest direction from Chengdu Medical College to Shuangliu West Station. Phase 1 of this line began construction on 28 April 2012, and opened on 31 July 2016. It was Chengdu's final line to use the lower capacity type B trains, subsequent lines favoring the longer and wider Type A cars. Line 3's color is magenta.

Line 4

Line 4 is the third line to enter revenue service on the metro network in Chengdu, Sichuan. Line 4 runs in an east–west direction, stretching from Wansheng in Wenjiang to Xihe in the Longquanyi. The first phase started construction on 22 July 2011, and began operation on 26 December 2015. Testing began on the east of west extensions of Line 4 as part of Phase II expansion on 10 December 2016. Line 4's color is green. It was the first line to use the longer and wider Type A trains, which are higher capacity.

Line 5

Line 5 is a crosstown north–south trunk line. Despite being numbered such, it was the seventh line to open, having started operation on 27 December 2019. Line 5's color is purple.

Line 6

Line 6 is a crosstown northwest–south-west pivotal line. It is the second longest metro line in Chengdu. It has more stations than any other metro line in China, with 54 currently plus two more infill stations coming later. It is one of the four lines to have started operation on 18 December 2020. Line 6's color is brown.

Line 7

Line 7 is a loop line which runs around downtown Chengdu. Despite the number, it was actually the sixth line to open, having started operation on 6 December 2017. Line 7's color is sky blue.

Line 8

Line 8 is a crosstown northeast–southwest metro line. It connects the Wangjiang and Jiang'an campuses of Sichuan University. Phase 1 began operation on 18 December 2020, the same day as lines 6, 9, and 18. Phase 2 opened on 19 December 2024. Line 8's color is chartreuse.

Line 9

Line 9 is planned to be the system's second circle line when it is fully completed according to plan. It is the first driverless metro line in Mid/West China. Phase 1 started operation on 18 December 2020. Line 9's color is bright orange.

Line 10

Line 10 serves Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. It started operation on 6 September 2017. It was also the first line in the system to use the higher-capacity type A trains. Line 10's color is blue.

Line 13

Line 13 is a metro line in Central Chengdu. It started operation on 16 December 2025.

Line 17

Line 17 is a metro line in Central Chengdu. Phase 1, including phase 1 of line 19, started operation on 18 December 2020. On 22 September 2023, the Jinxing-Jiujiang North section was integrated into Line 19. Like line 18 is uses a special variant of Type A trains with one less door per side and using 25 kV AC overhead power, as opposed to the "standard" 1500 V DC most newer metros in China use. Line 17's color is pale green.

Line 18

Line 18 is the first express metro line in the city. It parallels the southern section of Line 1 serving Tianfu New Area. It started operation on 27 September 2020. Phase 2 started operation on 18 December 2020. It is the third longest metro line in China after Chongqing Line 6 being the longest and Shanghai Line 11 in second place. It is still however the longest line that does not have any branches. Like line 17, it uses a special variant of Type A trains with one less door per side and using 25 kV AC overhead power. Line 18's color is teal.

Line 19

Line 19 is an express metro line linking Shuangliu International Airport and Tianfu International Airport. It partly shares the track with Line 18 between Tianfu Station and Tianfu Airport North. It started operation on 22 September 2023. Line 19's color is light purple.

Line 27

Line 27 is connects several northern regions of the city. It's the city's second metro line that use driverless trains. Line 27's color is light blue.

Line 30

Line 30 links Shuangliu International Airport and Longquanyi Railway Station. The metro station is located at the south side of the Longquanyi Railway Station. It started operation on 16 December 2025. Despite its number, it was only the sixteenth line to open.

Line S3

Line S3 is an express metro line linking Futian in Jianyang, Chengdu to Ziyang North Railway Station in Ziyang. It is the first intercity rapid transit line of Chengdu Metro system. It started operation on 29 September 2024. Line S3's color is grey.

Tram Line 2

Chengdu Tram Line 2 serves the north-west part of the city without a metro line. The line uses low-floor trams derived from the Alstom Citadis. Tram Line 2's color is light green.

History

Inception

In 1985, the Chengdu Planning Bureau set up an integrated transportation planning office which began the process of the planning for a rapid transit network for Chengdu. By 1992, a proposal for the subway was sent to the National Planning Commission and was subsequently rejected. In 2004 before the approval of the National Development and Reform Commission Chengdu started reconstructing Tianfu Square with provisions for Tianfu Square station. The first phase of Chengdu Metro, consisting of Lines 1 and 2, were approved by the NDRC on 11 September 2005.

First phase projects

2005

  • Line 1 construction commenced on 28 December 2005.

    2007

  • Construction of Line 2 began on 29 December 2007.

    2009

  • In May 2009, the National Development and Reform Commission approved western and eastern extensions of Line 2, along with the first phase of Lines 3 and 4.

    2010

  • Line 1 opened on 27 September 2010.

    2011

  • Construction of the first phase of Line 4 started on 22 July 2011.

    2012

  • On 25 April 2012, Line 3 received approval from the NDRC.
  • On 16 January 2012, the NDRC officially approved the southern extension of Line 1.
  • Line 3 construction began on 28 April 2012.

    2013

  • On 8 June 2013, Line 2 West Extension to Xipu and Ocean Park Station on Line 1 opened; Ocean Park was later renamed Jincheng Plaza.

    2014

  • On 26 October 2014, Line 2 East Extension to Longquanyi opened.

    2015

  • On 25 July 2015, Line 1 South Extension opened.
  • On 10 December 2015, Line 4 Phase 1 opened.

    2016

  • On 31 July 2016, Line 3 Phase 1 was opened, marking the completion of the first phase.

    Second phase projects

2009

  • In May 2009, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the second phase of expansion for the Chengdu Metro, encompassing Line 1 Phase 3, Line 3 Phase 2 and 3, Line 4 Phase 2, Line 5 Phase 1 and 2, Line 6 Phase 1, Line 7, Line 10 Phase 1, and Line 18. The total length of Phase 2 amounted to of new subway infrastructure.

    2014

  • On 4 June 2014, construction commenced for Line 10 Phase 1.

    2015

  • In August 2015, construction began for Line 5 Phase 1.

    2017

  • On 28 February 2017, the first tunnel boring machine for Line 18 was launched.
  • On 2 June 2017, Line 4 Phase 2 was opened.
  • On 6 September 2017, Line 10 Phase 1 was opened.
  • On 6 December 2017, Line 7 was opened.

    2018

  • On 18 March 2018, Line 1 Phase 3 was opened.
  • On 26 December 2018, Line 3 Phase 2 and 3 were opened.

    2019

  • In November 2019, Chengdu Metro introduced new signage branding coinciding with the opening of Line 5.
  • On 27 December 2019, Line 5 and Line 10 Phase 2 were opened.

    2020

  • On 27 May 2020, Line 6 began testing.
  • On 2 June 2020, Line 18, the largest Public-Private Partnership project in China, commenced its 3-month trial operation.
  • On 6 August 2020, Line 18 completed its fire-prevention assessment.
  • On 27 September 2020, Line 18 Phase 1 was opened.
  • On 18 December 2020, Line 6 Phases 1 to 3, Line 8 Phase 1, Line 9 Phase 1, Line 17 Phase 1, and Line 18 Phase 2 were opened, marking the completion of Phase 2 and 3 projects. With these openings, Chengdu Metro updated the wayfinding in all stations, introducing alpha-numeric station identifiers, and installed new LCD passenger information systems.
  • In 2020, with the opening of Line 6, Line 18 and other lines, Chengdu Metro refreshed the wayfinding in all stations with alpha-numeric station identifiers. In addition, new LCD passenger information systems, such as "comprehensive information screen" LCD, in station concourses and on screen doors at some stations.