The Harbin Metro is the rapid transit system of Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. The system began operation on 26 September 2013 with the opening of Line 1. It has three lines.
Hours and fares Trains operate from 5:30 AM to 10:30 PM daily. Fares are distance-based, starting at ¥2 for up to 6 km and increasing in tiers: ¥3 (up to 10 km), ¥4 (14 km), ¥5 (21 km), ¥6 (28 km), with an additional ¥1 per 10 km beyond 29 km (as of 2024). Fare payments are generally made via mobile apps like Alipay or WeChat.
Lines in operation
LineTerminals(District) Commencement NewestExtension Length Stations (Daowai) (Pingfang) September 26, 2013 April 10, 2019 26.27 23 (Hulan) (Xiangfang) September 19, 2021 — 28.19 19 (Daoli) Sports Park(Daoli) January 26, 2017 November 25, 2024 37.6 36Total91.5778
Annual urban-rail passenger volume reported for Harbin by CAMET. Values are passenger-trips in units of 10,000; reporting scope may include non-metro urban-rail modes and can vary by year.China Association of Metros, 2012 annual statistical report and 2025 annual statistical report. The linked Commons data pages identify the intervening annual reports and preserve their source URLs.
Raw passenger-volume data
Year-end urban-rail operating length reported for Harbin by CAMET, separating the metro series from the all-mode city total where both are reported.
Raw operating-length data
Line 1
Line 1 is oriented along the east–west axis of the urban area of Harbin, from northeast to southwest.
Line 2
Line 2 opened on 19 September 2021. It is 28.7 km in length with 19 stations.
Line 3
Line 3 is a circular line around the urban area of Harbin. The first phase consisted of 5 stations and opened in 2017.
The section from to , and the section from to opened on 26 November 2021. The circular line was completed on 27 November 2024.
History The Harbin Metro was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in July 2005. The initial investment was estimated to cost US$643 million. The project was headed by the Harbin Municipal People's Government Metro Construction, which established a Track Traffic Construction Office led by the city's construction commission. In 2006, an official "Initiation Ceremony of Harbin Metro Trial Project" was held, signifying the actual implementation of Harbin Line 1 project.A video showing the construction of the metro can be found here The builders made use of a 10.1 km air defense tunnel built in the 1970s as part of the "7381" civil air-defense project, which forms the part of Line 1 between Xidaqiao and Tobacco Manufacturer stations where both tracks run in one large tunnel with side platforms.(Chinese) 哈尔滨地铁1号线载客试运营正式开通 2013-09-26
Construction on Line 1 began a second time on 29 September 2009 and was later halted before being resumed on 1 March 2010. In March 2011 the contract for traincars for first line was signed with Changchun Railway Vehicles co. ltd. The target date for opening of the first line, 17.47 km in length, with 18 stations was set to the end of 2012. Line 1 opened on 26 September 2013.
Line 2 construction began in December 2014, with the first phase opening on 19 September 2021, spanning 18.5 km with 16 stations. Line 3, a circular line, saw its southeast half-ring (19.19 km with 19 stations) open on 26 November 2021. The remaining northwest section opened on 26 November 2024, completing the 32.18 km loop with 28 stations.
Future lines On 18 April 2016, the official website of Harbin Metro Group released the "Announcement of Environmental Impact Assessment for the Second Phase of Harbin Urban Rail Transit Construction Plan (2017-2022)". The planned line length is about 85 km, including 65 stations. According to the updated second phase construction planning announced in July 2022 (2022-2027), only Lines 4 and 5 are planned. The length was shortened to 70.6 km with 54 stations. In July 2025, the Harbin rail transit network plan (2021-2035) was approved, confirming the inclusion of these lines.
Years Lines Section Status Length Stations TerminusTBA Phase 1 Under Planning 34.5 km 29 Qiansha - Minzu College Phase 1 Under Planning 36.1 km 25 Dongsanhuan - Nanjing Road
See also List of metro systems Urban rail transit in China
References
External links Government site of Harbin