The Changsha Metro (officially zh, s=, c=长沙轨道交通, t=, p=chángshā guǐdào jiāotōng, labels=no; usually called ) is a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

system in

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

and Xiangtan. The first operational line, Line 2, commenced service on April 29, 2014, making Changsha the 18th city in

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

to open a rapid transit system.

Lines in operation

Line 1

Line 1 construction began in 2010 and was opened on June 28, 2016. A extension to Line 1 opened in 2024. Line 1 has a line length of with 25 stations, of which 3 is elevated and 22 are underground. The construction budget was 14.2 billion RMB. Line 1 is red on system maps.

Line 2

Line 2 is a line running from west to east in

. It was opened on April 29, 2014 and extended in December 2015. The line is long with 23 stations. Line 2 is light blue on system maps.

Line 3

Line 3 started construction on January 3, 2014. The line opened on June 28, 2020. Line 3 has a total length of with 33 stations. The line travels between Xiangtan North railway station and Guangsheng station. A southern extension was opened on June 28, 2023. Line 3 is yellow-green on system maps.

Line 4

Line 4 started construction on December 31, 2014. The line opened on May 26, 2019, with 25 stations. Line 4 has a total length of with 25 stations. The line travels between Guanziling station and Dujiaping station. Line 4 is purple on system maps.

Line 5

Line 5 started construction in 2015. The line opened on June 28, 2020. Line 5 has a total length of with 18 stations. It travels between Maozhutang station and Shuiduhe station. Line 5 is yellow on system maps.

Line 6

Line 6 opened on June 28, 2022. It runs in an east–west direction, connecting the

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

with the downtown. The middle section of Line 6 started construction on November 28, 2017. The middle section has a total length of with 23 stations. The western section, with 4 more stations, and the eastern section with 7 more stations, was completed in 2022. It travels between Xiejiaqiao station and Huanghua Airport T1 and T2 station. Line 6 is dark blue on system maps.

Fares and ticket system

Mobile payment methods

QR Code

Passengers can pay their Changsha Metro fares by using QR code.The system supports Alipay, WeChat Pay, Union Pay, Changsha Metro APP and several other apps. These apps requires one to scan a QR code when entering the fare gate at the origin station and again when exiting at the destination station. The fare is then deducted.

transport card

Passengers can pay their Changsha Metro fares by using China T-Union (Simplified as TU) (Mobile NFC included). Passengers swipe their TU card on the fare gate at the origin station and again when exiting at the destination station.

Single-trip ticket

Passengers can buy a single-trip ticket on the auto vending machine in the metro station by using cash as well as Alipay, WeChat Pay, Union Pay. Passengers can pay their Changsha Metro fares by using China T-Union (Simplified as TU) (Mobile NFC included). Passengers swipe their TU card on the fare gate at the origin station and again when exiting at the destination station.

Incidents

* On June 24, 2024, two lines were flooded after a particularly heavy rainstorm, of 65mm. Social media posts showed the escalator entrance at one station completely submerged.

Future development

Short-term expansions

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Changsha Metro Rail transport in Hunan Rapid transit in China Transport in Changsha Transport infrastructure under construction in China