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The city of Changchun lies in northeastern China, some 900 km from Beijing, between Harbin and Shenyang. It is an industrial city of heavy industry with a population of 7.5 million. After the opening of the city's first real metro line in June 2017, Changchun now boasts three different types of urban rail systems:

Starting with the north-south line, Changchun's initial metro system consisted of two Subway lines which complemented the older light rail system, a third line was added in 2024:

30 Aug 2018: Shuangfeng - Dongfang Square (20.5 km)
08 Oct 2021: Shuangfeng - Automobile Park (4.4 km)

28 Mar 2024: Shuangfeng – Changchun Movie Wonderland (29.6 km)

Changchun was one of the first Chinese cities which employed an American-style light rail system as the city's metro transportation. The initial phase of the Light Rail plan consisted of two lines forming a loop line of about 20 km long:

The western half of the initial loop was opened in October 2002. The line was initially 14.6 km long, with 17 stations. It ran mostly at grade, but with only a few level crossings, with about 1 km underground and 1 km viaduct section.

Phase 2 was an eastern extension of the Line 3, from Weiguangjie to the tourist area of Jingyuetan (Jingyue Pond and Skiing Site). Jingyuetan Forest Park is the largest artificial forest in the world. Work started in 2003 and the extension was completed in late 2006. It consisted of 16 stations and was 17 km long. This section runs entirely on a viaduct. The line is operated with low-floor light rail vehicles manufactured by the Changchun Railway Car Company. At the end of 2021, Line 3 was extended underground from its northern terminus at the Changchun Railway Station, while also the western approach to the railway station was put underground, replacing the original surface route on a 2 km section. Line 3 is now 34.1 km long.

xx-10-2002: Changchun Railway Station - Weiguangjie
26-12-2006: Weiguangjie - Changyingshijicheng (17 km)
31-12-2021: [Xi'an Bridge -]* Changchun Railway Station - Puppet Regime Palace Museum (2.2 km)
30-05-2023: Furong Bridge underground station

* Section between Xi'an Bridge and Changchun Railway Station (2 km) put underground

Trial service on the second light rail line began in June 2011. This 20.8 km north-south route includes three underground stations on its northernmost section, while the rest of the line runs mostly elevated along Linhe Street (Linhejie):

30-06-2011: Dongdaqiao Bridge - Tiangong Road (13 km)
06-05-2012: Dongdaqiao Bridge - Northern Stop of Changchun Railway Station(3.3 km)
17-12-2012: + Gongping Road
06-06-2023: Tiangong Road - Tianxin Road (4.5 km)
30-12-2023: + Dongxin Road

Line 8, a fully segregated elevated light rail line, started operation on 30 Oct 2018, running north from the northern terminus of metro line 1 and serving the North Lake area:

30-10-2018: North Huancheng Road - Guangtong Road

Changchun has also preserved an old tramway line, running mostly on a reserved right-of-way, opened in 1941. Line 54 (7.6 km) was the last of a once-large streetcar network. To provide a link to the Changchun West Railway Station, a 5 km branch, served by the newly introduced line 55, was added on 25 Aug 2014. Initially terminating at some distance, the tram was extended to the railway station proper on 28 Aug 2016.

Changchun Railway Traffic Group

Changchun Subway & Light Rail at Wikipedia

Changchun Tramway at Wikipedia

Urban Rail in Changchun by Craig Moore (Jan 2019):

The capital of Jilin Province was founded only 200 years ago, and is famed for its automobile industry and rolling stock production (CNR/CRRC Changchun). The city was also the first in China to operate a LRT line and now offers the full gamut of urban rail provision - full metro, light rail and tram. Metro and Light Rail provision is jointly operated by Changchun Rail Transit Corporation with 5 lines and 96.3km of revenue service. 40.6km is underground, the remainder being elevated or at grade. 

Full Metro: Line 1/Line 2 (36.5km-fully underground)
Although Changchun has been an ‘urban rail’ city since 2002, it was not until 2017 that full metro services began. Line 1 is 16.4km line (15 stations) running north-south from North Ring Road (for barrier free connection to Line 8- see below), via the main railway station to Hongzuizi in the south. The line has 2 stations within the main railway station area - the quaintly named ‘Northern stop of Changchun Station’ (Changchunzhanbei) is accessed via a huge, drab and confusing plaza in front of the Railway station, the confusion caused by scale and insufficient directional signage. This station is also served by LRT Line 4 but both facilities are currently unconnected and transfer requires new tickets and a lengthy walk. 700m south is the newly opened ‘Changchun Station’ where there is a nearby connection to LRT Line 3 station of the same name. As with Line 4 transfer, passengers have to exit the metro system to access the exterior LRT. Further south, the line passes Nanhu Lake and Weixing Square which will eventually provide barrier-free integration with LRT Line 3..

South from here, the line runs below a busy thoroughfare .... [for full report click here (PDF)]