Xi'an began its metro system plan in the mid-1980s. The plan was first submitted to the State Council in 1994, with four planned lines and a total length of. In February 2004, the re-drafted plan was submitted to the State Government, which received final approval on September 13, 2006. The first line, Line 2, began construction along Chang'an Street on 29 September 2006 and was completed in 2011. It runs north-south and passes under such historic sites as the Bell Tower and city wall. It is long with lying underground, approximately 20 meters below the surface. It is estimated to have cost 17.9 billion yuan. The route stretches from the Beikezhan to Weiqunan with 20 stops. The travel time is 39 minutes for the entire length, cutting the commute almost in half. Operations began on 28 September 2011. Four other routes were planned to start construction in 2011 and to be finished by around 2020. When completed, the system will span and will mainly service the urban and suburban districts of Xi'an and part of Xianyang. On June 12, 2019, the NDRC approved the Phase III Construction Plan of Xi'an Metro. The plan includes Line 1, Line 2, Line 8, Line 10, Line 14, Line 15, Line 16. The total length of Xi'an Metro will be in 2024.
Lines in operation
Line 1
The second route, Line 1, was scheduled to start in late 2009 but was brought one year earlier as per Chinese government's response to the financial crisis of 2007–2010. Line 1 opened on 15 September 2013. The route runs from east to west. The line is with 23 stations. To accelerate the speed of overall economic development between Xi'an and Xianyang cities, the Transportation Department of Xi'an decided to extend Line 1 to promote business travel between the two cities, as well as improve the efficiency of land use alongside Line 1. The preparation phase for the extension Line 1 started with the compilation of a feasibility study on November 4, 2007.
Line 2
Line 2 opened on 16 September 2011. This line is long with 21 stations.
Line 3
Construction of Xi'an Metro's Line 3 broke ground in May 2011, began public trial testing on September 20, 2016, and was opened at November 8, 2016. The line is currently long with 26 stations. When Phase 2 opens, the line will be long and with 31 stations.
Line 4
Construction of test section of Line 4 of Xi'an Metro started in late 2012. Line 4 started service on December 26, 2018.
Airport Intercity Railway
Airport Intercity Railway opened on September 29, 2019. It is 29.31 km with 10 stations. In 2021, the line will be extended to Heshaocun. The extension is known as Line 14. The extension is 13.65 km with 8 stations.
Future Development
On June 12, 2019, the NDRC approved the Phase III Construction Plan of Xi'an Metro. The plan includes Line 1, Line 2, Line 8, Line 10, Line 14, Line 15, Line 16. The total length of Xi'an Metro will be in 2024.
Accidents
On 2 August 2009, 9:20am, a cave-in at the Sajinqiao section of Line 1 trapped migrant workers under 10 cubic meters of earth for over three hours, hospitalizing at least two who later died at the hospital. On 26 May 2009, an individual suffered minor injuries from a fire during infrastructure work on Line 1. On 30 December 2008, a fire occurred that was extinguished within an hour; all workers evacuated safely. Just 66 hours later, on 2 January, another fire occurred at another station on Line 2.
