Qingdao Metro () is a rapid transit system in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. The first line, Line 3 (north section) began operation on December 16, 2015.
Visual Recognition/Logo
The text part of the logo is the company's abbreviation Chinese "青岛地铁" and English capital "QINGDAO METRO". The graphical part is based on the English word initials "Q" (as for Qingdao) as the main element. The overall shape is round, and the interior is shown in the subway tunnel entrance. The waves below highlight the characteristics of the coastal city. The overall green application means that the metro is a green and environmentally friendly vehicle.
According to their official website, the current motto of Qingdao Metro is Prosperous happiness (畅达幸福).
Lines in operation LineTerminals(District) Commencement NewestExtension Lengthkm Stations (Huangdao) (Chengyang) December 24, 2020 December 30, 2021 59.82 41 (Shibei) (Licang) December 10, 2017 December 28, 2024 28.227 25 (Shinan) (Licang) December 16, 2015 December 18, 2016 24.472 22 (Shinan) (Laoshan) December 26, 2022 — 30.71 25 (Huangdao) (Huangdao) April 26, 2024 — 30.76 21 (Shinan) (Jiaozhou) December 24, 2020 September 22, 2026 61.4 18 (Laoshan) (Jimo) April 23, 2018 — 54.371 21 (Huangdao) (Huangdao) December 26, 2018 October 26, 2023 69.6 23Total359.36176
Annual urban-rail passenger volume reported for Qingdao 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 Qingdao by CAMET, separating the metro series from the all-mode city total where both are reported.
Raw operating-length data
Line 1
The northern section between Qingdao North Railway Station and Dongguozhuang Station was opened on 24 December 2020. The southern section between Qingdao North Railway Station and Wangjiagang Station was opened on 30 December 2021. The north section is and the south section is , the entire of Line 1 is in length. Line 1's color is yellow.视频：地铁1号线全线开通进入“倒计时” 车站内景抢先看
Line 2
Construction on Line 2 began in 2012, and the completed line will comprise 22 stations, with a total length of . Line 2 began passenger service on December 10, 2017, between Zhiquan Road station and Licun Park station. The western section from Zhiquan Road station to Taishan Road station opened on December 16, 2019. The extension from Taishan Road station to Sichuan Road (Qingdao Ferry Terminal) opened on 18 December 2024.Line 2's color is red.
Line 3
The construction of the first line, Line 3, began on November 30, 2009. With 13 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) of funding, the line comprises 22 stations, with a total length of . The northern half of Line 3 began trial passenger operation on December 16, 2015, and the southern half opened a year later, on December 18, 2016. Line 3's color is blue.
Line 4
Line 4 between Hall of the People station and Dahedong station operation on December 26, 2022, with 25 stations and of track. Line 4's color is green.
Line 6
Construction for Line 6 Phase I started on December 16, 2019. Line 6 (Phase 1, Lingshan Bay station to Hengyunshan Rd station) is a line with 21 underground stations. Phase 1 of Line 6 opened on April 26, 2024. Line 6's color is light blue, and is currently the only line with driverless capacity.
Line 8
The northern section opened in December 2020, and the southern section and the branch is currently under construction. Line 8's color is pink.
Oceantec Valley Line (Line 11)
Phase I of Line 11 between Miaoling Road station and Qiangu Mountain station, which extends from Laoshan District to Jimo District, with 21 stations and of track, began operation on April 23, 2018. Line 11's (renamed the Oceantec Valley Line in 2024) color is dark blue.
West Coast Line (Line 13)
Phase I and Phase II of Line 13 between Jinggangshan Road and Dongjiakou Railway Station started operation on December 26, 2018, with 21 stations and of track. Line 13's (renamed the West Coast Line in 2024) color is teal. A extension to the north opened in 2023.
History
Project Proposal (1935)
In 1935, Qingdao proposed an urban development plan that included the construction of "inner city high-speed transportation" systems, specifically rail transit express lines. This made Qingdao the first city in China to propose building a metro. The planners emphasized the importance of early preparation, cautioning against neglecting the project simply because the need for high-speed transportation seemed distant. The plan outlined a total of 42 kilometers of track, with underground lines in the city center and elevated lines out in the suburbs. All vehicles were to be powered by electricity to maintain a clean and hygienic city environment. However, due to the social unrest of the time, these plans remained on paper and were never realized.
First Construction Attempt (1987-2000) In April 1987, Qingdao officially began planning and conducting feasibility studies for a rail transit network. By 1989, an initial plan for a "two lines and one loop" network, covering about 48 km, was developed. In 1990, the Qingdao Municipal Planning Commission submitted a proposal for the first phase of the Qingdao metro project to the National Planning Commission. By June 1991, the project had gained approval from the State Council, with the official project document numbered (1991).
In 1993, the Qingdao Metro Engineering Construction Office was set up, followed by the formation of the Qingdao Metro Company to oversee the metro planning and construction. In 1994, the "Qingdao Urban Comprehensive Transportation Plan" expanded the network plan to a "four lines and one loop" structure, totaling approximately 96 km. That same year, the Qingdao Metro Company was officially established, and on December 24, construction began on a test section of the Line 1 Phase 1 project, which included "two stations and one section of track."
However, on December 28, 1995, the State Council issued a notice to halt the approval of urban metro projects, requiring that several approved projects stop signing external contracts. The National Planning Commission suspended the approval of feasibility study reports and construction starts. By 2000, the test section of the Metro was completed and inspected, and the "Qingdao Metro Phase 1 Feasibility Study Report" was submitted to the National Planning Commission for approval, but no response was received.
Substantial Construction (2008–Present) In September 2008, the "Qingdao Urban Rapid Transit Construction Plan"—which included Lines 1, 2, and 3—was submitted to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for approval. In December, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued a document (No. 85 ) approving the environmental impact report, and the NDRC's expert review approved the construction plan. This marked the official start of preliminary work on the new metro test section, with its scope initially defined.
On February 20, 2009, the construction of a new metro test section, which included one station, Hexi Station (now called Metro Building) and one section of track from Hexi Station to Bao'er Station (now called Changsha Road), was confirmed. In April, a review meeting was held for the "Qingdao Urban Rapid Transit Construction Plan (2009-2016)," which resulted in the adjustment of the plan to focus only on Lines 2 and 3. The first phase of Line 2 and Line 3 were scheduled for construction in two phases from 2010 to 2016, with a total length of 54.7 km and 46 stations.
On June 26, 2009, construction of the test section began. On November 30, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Qingdao Metro was held at Metro Building Station. During the construction of Line 3, various challenges such as geological issues and relocation difficulties caused delays. The first section of Line 3 opened December 16, 2015.
Short-term plan Phase 3 construction plan The Phase 3 construction plan (2021-2026) of Qingdao Metro was approved by National Development and Reform Commission on August 19, 2021.
Line Terminals Constructionstarted Openingdate Lengthin km NewstationsSource Phase 2 202120268.98 Maidao Yunling Road2021202832.729 (Phase 2) Xintun Road Qingdao West railway station2022202714.710 (Phase 2 North) Dongguozhuang Yingpu Road2021202712.811 (Phase 2 South) Xingguo Road Cangkou202120273.73 (Branch) Dajian Jiaozhou Railway Station2022202720.411 Haixicun Gongdiansuo2022202716.613 Xiawangbu Sifangchang2022202830.815
Network map
Rolling stock All lines use standard B1 type rolling stock. Typically they operate as six-car-trains, whereas Oceantec Valley Line and West Coast Line use four-car-trains. Power is supplied via a third rail with 1500 V DC. On each line run trains with different appearance and livery.
Ticketing
The Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system at Qingdao Metro stations includes several key machines:
Ticket Vending Machines (TVM): Located in the non-paid area of the station, these machines allow you to buy single-ride tickets, top-up stored-value cards, or collect pre-purchased tickets. You can pay with cash, mobile payment apps like Alipay or WeChat, or scan a QR code from the Qingdao Metro app.
Ticket Checking Machines (TCM): Also in the non-paid area, these machines let you check the type, validity, balance, and recent transactions of your ticket or card.
Automatic Gates (AGM): Positioned between the non-paid and paid areas, these gates require you to swipe your card or scan a code to enter or exit. At the exit, one-way tickets are collected, and fares are deducted for stored-value card users.
Staffed Service Machines (BOM): Located at the station service center, these machines allow staff to help with issues like ticket refunds, lost or invalid cards, overcharges, and other problems that can't be resolved by the TVMs.
Self-Service Terminals (STT): Also at the station service center, these terminals are for passengers inside the paid area to handle their own ticket-related tasks, such as card updates, balance inquiries, and resolving ticket issues.
Ticket Fares
Qingdao Metro adopts mileage-based pricing. The starting fare is RMB 2 (excluding discounts). The starting mileage is 5 km; the fare is 3 yuan for 5~10 km; the fare is 4 yuan for 10~17 km; 17 ~27 km, the fare is 5 yuan; 27~38 km, the fare is 6 yuan; for every 1 yuan increase in fare above 38 km.
Accidents and incidents
On April 13, 2018, the ground collapsed near the Haixin Bridge Station in the western section of Line 2 and there were no casualties.
On November 26, 2018, a partial detachment occurred during the 01-2 workspace jet operation of Line 8 B2, causing a worker to fall from the work platform and die after being sent to the hospital for rescue.
On December 20, 2018, a production accident occurred at a construction site on Line 4, killing one person.
On May 27, 2019, the construction section of the quicksand area of Line 4 collapsed, killing 5 people.
On February 20, 2023, at the Shilaoren Beach Station project site of Line 5, an accident occurred while repairing a rotary drilling rig, resulting in the death of a maintenance worker.
See also List of metro systems Urban rail transit in China
References
$4.3 billion budget to boost Qingdao subway construction
External links
Qingdao Metro construction Qingdao Metro construction presentation Qingdao at UrbanRail.net