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Nanjing (Nanking) lies some 300 km northwest of Shanghai and has a population of over 8 million (6,500 sq km).

Besides the five proper metro lines opened in recent years, Nanjing has also built several suburban metro lines, prefixed S, which are technically compatible to the urban lines, but may differ through longer station distances, longer headways or shorter trains:

45.4 km, 32 stations

Construction of Metro Line 1 began in 2000 for completion in September 2005. Trial operation started on 15 June 2005. The original Line 1 from Maigaoqiao to Olympic Stadium was 22 km (14.3 km underground) with 16 stations. A southern 25 km branch was added in 2010, but in 2014, the western branch was detached and extended and became Line 10.

27 Aug 2005: Maigaoqiao - Xiaohang
03 Sept 2005: Xiaohang - Olympic Stadium (and official opening) > now part of Line 10
28 May 2010: Andemen - CPU (China Pharmaceutical University) (25 km)
28 June 2011: Nanjing South Railway Station added
28 Dec 2022: Maigaoqiao - Baguazhoudaqiaonan (6.5 km)

43.4 km, 30 stations

Line 2 opened in May 2010 along its full length of 38 km, but was extended south 11 years later. It intersects twice with the older Line 1.

28 May 2010: Youfangqiao - Jingtianlu (38 km)
27 Dec 2021: Youfangqiao – Yuzui (5.4 km)

44.9 km, 29 stations

01 Apr 2015: Line 3 Linchang - Mozhoudonglu (44.9 km)
18 Oct 2015: Line 3 Shangyuanmen added

33.8 km, 18 stations

18 Jan 2017: Longjiang - Xianlinhu (33.8 km)

12.9 km, 9 stations

31 Mar 2024: Jiyindadao - Wenjinglu (12.9 km)

35.7 km, 27 stations

28 Dec 2022: Mufuxilu - Xianxinlu (12.6 km)
28 Dec 2023: Yingtiandajie - Xishanqiao (10.7 km)

21.6 km, 14 stations

Line 10 was launched in July 2014 when a 16.2 km extension with 10 stations opened which was connected to the branch of the existing Line 1.

27 Aug 2005: Andemen - Xiaohang (as part of Line 1)
03 Sept 2005: Xiaohang - Olympic Stadium (as part of Line 1)
01 July 2014: Olympic Stadium - Yushanlu (and incorporating former Line 1 branch from Andemen to Olympic Stadium; plus a new station at Andemen)

Airport Express Line, 37.2 km, 9 stations

01 July 2014: South Railway Station - Nanjing Lukou International Airport (35.8 km)
26 May 2018: Nanjing Lukou International Airport - Konggangxinchengjiangning (1.5 km)

Suburban metro line, underground through urban area - 36.3 km, 19 stations

06 Dec 2017: South Railway Station - Gaojiachong

Chuzhou RT Nanjing-Chuzhou Line (Nanjing Metro Line S4) - interurban line, mostly running through the municipality of Chuzhou in eastern Anhui Province

28 June 2023: Chahe – Chuzhou Railway Station (44 km)

Eastern suburban metro line, underground through urban area - 43.6 km, 13 stations

28 Dec 2021: Maqun – Jurong (43.6 km)

Built as a logical extension to Line S1, with some trains running through from Nanjing South Railway Station to Wuxiangshan (67 km), but mostly a change of trains is required at Konggangxinchengjiangning.

- 30.2 km, 9 stations

26 May 2018: Konggangxinchengjiangning - Wuxiangshan

Ningtian Intercity Line - 47.2 km, 19 stations

01 Aug 2014: Taishanxincun – Jinniuhu (45.2 km)
30 Sept 2022: Taishanxincun – Changjiangdaqiaobei (2 km)

Line S9 starts outside Nanjing at Xiangyulunan station on line S1; part of the Nanjing–Gaochun Intercity Railway or Ninggao Intercity Railway; the route includes a 12 km bridge across the Shijiu Lake. - 51. 7km, 6 stations

30 Dec 2017: Xiangyulunan - Gaochun (51.7 km)

 Projects

Several new lines are planned. Click here for details.

Two tram lines operate in Nanjing, each with battery-powered vehicles which charge energy from an overhead power supply system at stops:

A 7.8 km modern tram line, known as the Hexi Tram, opened on 1 Aug 2014, running from Olympic Stadium East station on metro line 2 towards the urban development area in the southwest.

A second line, the Qilin (Kirin) Tram, 9 km with 13 stops, opened on 31 Oct 2017 in the eastern part of the city.

Nanjing Metro (official site)

Nanjing Metro at Wikipedia

Nanjing Trams at Wikipedia

In May/Sept 2018, Craig Moore sends his updated views on Nanjing:

Nanjing
As the former capital of China, Nanjing* is an ancient city with a rich heritage. The Nanjing Metro has grown rapidly in recent years. As recently as 2014 the system totalled only 85km, but with new line openings, the system now boasts 10 lines and runs to 368.4km (196.3km underground). Most of this growth is, however, in the suburban/regional form of Metro – indeed, Nanjing is the most prominent exponent of this model in China, and now has five lines branded as ‘S’, covering over half of the entire network length. Yet to complicate things, some of the S lines could qualify as full metro services in terms of urban-ness, service intensity and station style (especially S3).

Urban Metro
In the main urban area, the system is centred on a two line ‘north-south’ alignment through the central area, and two significant east-west lines running below important commercial corridors. There is also an adjunct line (10) in the west. Thus, the central area is well served by a selection of lines and stations, all well located at main junctions, with predominant entrances and integration into shopping complexes and underground passageways. This 5-line network of 172.2km runs mainly underground (142.9km).

Line 1 is 38.9km (23.2km underground) with 27 stations (18 underground). Unlike other lines which run from 0600-2300, this line has a 0530 start with 3/4min base headways and a journey takes 60mins. This is the main north-south line connecting....

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*Nan = south; Jing = Capital; and by logic…Bei = North. For interest Xi is West and so Xi’an is Western Peace. Dong = East. There is no Dongjing in China but interestingly that is the name the Chinese give to Tokyo!