Xiamen Metro began limited passenger operations with free travel on two new metro lines on September 16, 2026. These lines added 57.4 km of track, a 37% increase, expanding the total network length from 98.4 km to 155.8 km. Service is currently limited with long headways and restricted operating hours as part of an informal running-in period.
Technical specifications of new lines
Both lines use fully automated, four-car B-type trainsets running on 1.5 kV DC overhead electrification. Line 4 operates as an express metro with a maximum speed of 120 km/h, featuring relatively long distances between stations. Line 6 serves as Xiamen’s first inter-urban metro
line, connecting multiple jurisdictions with through service.
Line 4 route and extensions
The initial section of Line 4 covers 31.3 km, running between Jimei Software Park North and Qianwu. Extensions are underway at both ends. To the east, the line will serve the under-construction Xiang’an International Airport. A new infill station, Xiyan, will also be added. Additionally, a five-station branch line is planned extending southwest from Xiamen North main line station to Huizuo and Maluan Bay South.
Line 6 inter-urban connection
Line 6 stretches 26.1 km, linking Huaqiao University in Xiamen with Jiaojiang Road in the suburbs of Zhangzhou municipality. Construction is ongoing on a two-station extension in Zhangzhou
and a planned infill station at Chenjing in Xiamen. The line was developed and operates through cooperation between Xiamen and Zhangzhou municipalities.
Travelers can use the two new metro lines free of charge during this running-in period starting September 16, 2026. Line 4’s express metro format offers faster service between key transport hubs with 120 km/h maximum speed and longer station spacing, while Line 6 provides Xiamen’s first direct metro connection to neighboring Zhangzhou.
China is seeing a rise in express metro lines across urban rail openings, with Line 4 in Xiamen joining this expanding network of high-speed urban rail
services.
