The southern section of Qingdao Metro Line 8 opened on Sept 22, completing the full line between Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport and the city center. The 61.4-kilometer line runs from Jiaozhou North Railway Station to May Fourth Square, connecting five districts and 17 stations with a design speed of 120 km per hour.

Line 8 links four major transport hubs — Qingdao North Railway Station, Hongdao Railway Station, Jiaodong Airport, and Jiaozhou North Station — and connects with five metro lines. From May Fourth Square, passengers can now reach the airport in under 40 minutes without transfers, with express trains stopping only at key stations.

Since opening, the line's northern section has become the preferred route to the airport. In 2025, Jiaodong International Airport Station handled nearly 4 million passengers, about 15 percent of the airport's annual throughput. Airport-to-Qingdao-North trains ran about 1,700 trips, saving passengers 24,000 hours.

With the southern section open, daily ridership on the full line has doubled to 135,000. During the National Day holiday, single-day ridership hit a record 218,700.

The full opening of Line 8 strengthens connectivity between Qingdao's northern and eastern districts, eases traffic congestion, and boosts commercial and cultural development along the route, injecting new momentum into the city's development as a modern international metropolis.

Passengers are ready to board Qingdao Metro Line 8 at Jiaodong International Airport Station. [Photo/Guanhai News]