China’s National Day holiday has arrived with three cities adding new metro links. Nanjing, Qingdao and Changchun have opened new lines, extensions or first-phase routes within days of one another, creating almost 65 kilometres of new urban railway just as holiday travel begins.
中国国庆假期到来之际，三座城市迎来了新的地铁线路。南京、青岛和长春在数日内先后开通新线路、延伸线或一期工程，新增城市轨道交通线路接近65公里，恰逢假期出行高峰开始。
The projects are spread across very different parts of China. Nanjing’s Line 6 runs through the eastern side of the city; Qingdao’s Line 8 now reaches the central waterfront from the airport corridor; Changchun’s Line 5 cuts diagonally through established districts from southwest to northeast.
这些项目分布在中国不同地区，所解决的交通问题也各不相同。南京地铁6号线贯穿城市东部；青岛地铁8号线从机场方向抵达中心城区和海滨；长春地铁5号线则从西南向东北斜穿成熟城区。
International Railway Journal reported the three openings together as almost 65 kilometres of new metro. Their common feature is less the number itself than the connections each route creates.
《国际铁路杂志》将三条线路的开通合并报道为近65公里新增地铁线路。它们的共同点不只是里程数字，而是各自建立起来的交通联系。
Nanjing Connects the South with Qixia
南京连接南部新城与栖霞
Nanjing Metro Line 6 began initial operations at 6am on 29 September. It runs for about 32.365 kilometres between Nanjing South Railway Station and Qixiashan, with 19 underground stations, including five interchanges. The trains have a design speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
南京地铁6号线于9月29日早上6时开始初期运营。线路全长约32.365公里，连接南京南站和栖霞山站，共设19座地下车站，其中5座为换乘站。列车设计最高时速为100公里。
The line passes through the South New Town, the main urban area, Yanziji New Town, the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone and Qixia’s cultural and scenic areas. It also runs directly into airport line S1, allowing passengers to travel between Qixiashan and Lukou Airport without changing trains at Nanjing South.
线路经过南部新城、主城核心区、燕子矶新城、南京经济技术开发区以及栖霞的文化和旅游区域。它还与机场线S1号线贯通运行，乘客从栖霞山前往禄口机场，无需在南京南站换乘。
The opening takes Nanjing’s metro network to 15 lines, 611 kilometres and 302 stations. The city has also introduced or adjusted 30 bus routes around Line 6, including seven feeder and micro-circulation services. The rail connection is important; the local bus network will determine how easily residents reach the new stations.
6号线开通后，南京地铁运营线路达到15条，运营里程增至611公里，车站总数达到302座。南京还围绕6号线站点新辟或调整了30条公交线路，其中包括7条接驳和微循环线路。地铁线路本身很重要，周边公交网络则决定了居民能否方便抵达这些新车站。
Metro Line Finally Links Qingdao Airport with the City
青岛让机场地铁抵达市中心
Qingdao’s 13.1-kilometre southern section of Line 8 opened on 22 September, extending the line from Qingdao North Railway Station through six new underground stations to May Fourth Square. The route passes through Li Cang, Shi Bei and Shi Nan districts.
青岛地铁8号线南段于9月22日开通，全长13.1公里。线路从青岛北站出发，经过6座新建地下车站，延伸至五四广场，途经李沧区、市北区和市南区。
The opening completes the 61.4-kilometre Line 8, which links Jiaozhou North Railway Station, Jiaodong International Airport, Qingdao North Station and the eastern urban core. Shandong transport authorities say the fastest journey from May Fourth Square to the airport is now about 40 minutes without a change. For airport passengers, the final stretch into the city has become considerably simpler.
新路段开通后，全长61.4公里的8号线实现全线贯通，连接胶州北站、胶东国际机场、青岛北站和东岸主城区。山东省交通运输部门表示，五四广场前往胶东机场最快约需40分钟，而且无需换乘。对机场旅客来说，进入市区的最后一段路变得简单了许多。
Changchun Adds a Diagonal Route
长春增加一条斜向线路
Changchun Metro Line 5 began initial operations at 7.58am on 28 September. Its first phase runs for 19.5 kilometres between Zhuoyuedajie in the southwest and Dongdaqiao in the northeast. The entire route is underground, with 18 stations and eight interchanges.
长春地铁5号线一期工程于9月28日早上7时58分开始初期运营。线路一期全长19.5公里，连接西南方向的卓越大街站和东北方向的东大桥站。全线为地下线路，共设18座车站，其中8座为换乘站。
The line passes through Hongqi Street, People’s Square and Changchun Street, linking commercial areas with existing transport corridors. Construction began on 1 August 2020 and the project completed integrated testing, 90 days of empty-train testing and 20 days of timetable operation before opening. Changchun’s network now has eight lines and 194.1 kilometres of operating track.
线路经过红旗街、人民广场和长春大街等区域，把商业片区与既有交通走廊连接起来。项目于2020年8月1日开工，开通前完成综合联调、90天空载试运行以及20天按运行图试跑。长春轨道交通线网如今增至8条，运营里程达到194.1公里。
The three projects address different gaps. Nanjing strengthens cross-city movement and removes a transfer on journeys to the airport; Qingdao closes the missing link between its airport corridor and the city centre; Changchun adds a heavily interconnected route through established urban districts. For many National Day travellers, the immediate difference may simply mean one less change on the way to work, home, a railway station or an airport.
三个项目解决的是不同的交通缺口。南京强化了跨区域出行，并减少了前往机场时的一次换乘；青岛补上了机场通道与市中心之间的关键联系；长春则在成熟城区内增加了一条换乘密集的线路。对许多国庆出行者而言，最直接的变化，可能只是前往工作地点、家中、火车站或机场时少换乘一次。