Line 9 (Tianjin Metro)


Line 9 is a rapid transit line of the Tianjin Metro. It spans with 21 stations, connecting the urban area of Tianjin with Binhai New Area, a new area within the jurisdiction of Tianjin Municipality. The one-way journey time is approximately one hour.
Line 9 is run by Tianjin Binhai Mass Transit Development Co., Ltd, which became a subsidiary of Tianjin Rail Transit Group Corporation in 2017.

Design

Most of the line is elevated that runs parallel to the Jinbin Expressway. Hence, it is often wrongly called "light rail", as is commonplace in China with elevated or at-grade metro lines.
Trains can reach a speed of up to. Of the 4 bridges along the line, the No. 1 and No. 4 bridges are longer and use ballastless track, while the No. 2 and No. 3 bridges use ballasted track. The No. 1 bridge, from Guanghua Road to Babao, with a total length of, is the longest bridge used in rapid transit systems in China.

History

Line 9 first opened on 28 March 2004. It was extended to on 15 October 2012, connecting with the main metro network by allowing passengers to transfer to Lines 2 and 3.
Train service on the whole line was suspended on 13 August 2015 after a series of massive explosions devastated the area. The explosions occurred less than a kilometre from Donghailu station; the roof of the station collapsed, and the control centre nearby was destroyed. It resumed operation on 16 December from Tianjin Railway Station to Tianjin Pipe Corporation Station.

Timeline

  • 18 May 2001 - Construction begins
  • 30 September 2003 - Construction completes
  • 28 March 2004 - Trial service begins, 6 stations are open to service: Zhongshanmen, Donglikaifaqu, Gangguangongsi, Yanghuoshichang, Dongtinglu, and Donghailu. The price of the tickets are 3 yuan for less than or 5 yuan for greater than. The first train departs at 07:00 and the last at 19:00. Hujiayuan is a special station only open to BMT staffs and Huizhanzhongxin station near TEDA football field is only open for football matches and other special events.
  • 25 May 2004 - Yihaoqiao station opens for service
  • 13 September 2004 - Extends open time to 06:30 - 19:00
  • 18 October 2004 - Shiminguangchang station opens
  • 27 March 2005 - Huizhanzhongxin station opens on normal days
  • 28 April 2005 - Erhaoqiao station opens, Yihaoqiao station closes. Automatic ticket selling and checking system begins use. The price of a ticket changes to 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 yuan, depending on the travel distance. Extends open time to 06:30 - 20:00.
  • Late 2005 or early 2006 - Yanghuoshichang station changed name to Tanggu; Dongtinglu changed name to TEDA.
  • 1 March 2006 - Yihaoqiao station reopens; Xinlizhen, Xiaodongzhuang, Junliangcheng, Hujiayuan stations open, so all 14 stations that have been constructed are open.
  • 28 March 2006 - At 11 a.m., the trains begin automatic train operation; the total travel time from Zhongshanmen to Donghailu decreases from 49 min to 47.5 min.
  • 1 May 2006 - Extends open time to 06:30 - 21:00.
  • 1 May 2010 - Shiyijing Road to Zhongshanmen was opened
  • 12 August 2015 - the 2015 Tianjin explosions caused significant damage; all operations are suspended.
  • 16 December 2015 - Tianjin Railway Station to Tianjin Pipe Corp Station section resumes operation. The operation time is 06:00 - 22:30.
  • Early 2016 - Tianjin Pipe Corp Station to Citizen Plaza section resumes operation.
  • 31 December 2016 - Citizen Plaza to Donghai Road section resumes operation.

Stations (west to east)

Service routes:

Rolling stock

The set BMT-122 was damaged in an explosion accident on 12 August 2015, but was repaired and overhauled. Before it backed to service, it has been changed set number to 922.