The much-anticipated northern sections of Qingdao Metro Lines 1 and 8 both began nine-day trial operations on Dec 15.

The two metro lines had already carried out three months of preliminary trials. With eight different indexes, including punctuality, all meeting national standards, the two sections both managed to pass the initial pre-operation safety assessment.

The northern section of Qingdao Metro Line 1 starts from Qingdao North Railway Station and ends at Dongguozhuang Station. The line is 21.9 kilometers long and takes about 36 minutes to complete its route.

The northern section of Qingdao Metro Line 8 starts from Qingdao North Railway Station and ends at Jiaozhou North Railway Station. The line is 48.3 kilometers long and has the longest undersea subway tunnel in China. The entire journey takes about 45 minutes.

The two sections will strengthen connections between Jiaozhou, Chengyang district, and the urban area and are expected to boost the social and economic development of regions along the lines.

They will open to the public soon after the completion of the trial, according to local media reports.

The interior of a train on the northern section of Qingdao Metro Line 1 [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The Hongdao Railway Station in the northern section of Qingdao Metro Line 8 [Photo/qingdaonews.com]