Wuxi Metro: Your fast lane across the city

Navigating a new city is easier with a reliable metro system. Luckily, Wuxi's Metro is up-to-date, effective, and growing. Here's your key guide for using it.

Subway lines in Wuxi:

Map of subway lines in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Metro]

Line 1 (in red) (South-North): Connects Wuxi Railway Station, Sanyang Plaza, and southern Wuxi, operating from Yanqiao to Nanfangquan.

Line 2 (in green) (East-West): Runs from Meiyuan Kaiyuan Temple, through the city center (interchange at Sanyang Plaza), and links to Wuxi East Railway Station.

Line 3 (in blue): Connects Shuofang Airport to Sumiao Station.

Line 4 (in purple): Operates from Liutan to Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center stations.

Line S1: Expansion of Line 1 to the north, all the way to Jiangyin city, terminates at Jiangyin Bund Station.

How to pay:

Single journey ticket: Buy it from automated vending machines at any station. Choose your destination, pay with cash, WeChat, or Alipay, and tap the ticket on the gate reader. REMEMBER to take it with you as you leave!

Public transportation card: Swipe Taihu Transportation Card at the gate reader.

NFC & Mobile Wallets: Apple Pay, Huawei Pay, and others are often supported for contactless payments. However, remember Wuxi does not have its own transit card in Apple Wallet. The Suzhou Transit Card and Changzhou Transit Card can also be used in Wuxi, both offering the same 5 percent discount policy.

QR code: Apply for a QR code on platforms like Alipay and WeChat. On Alipay, press "transport" or search "微信乘车码" (WeChat QR code for transportation). Then select Wuxi and request the code. You can also download the official "码上行" (Ma Shang Xing) app, where the QR code is located in the middle of the bottom bar. The QR code should be scanned when entering and exiting; fares will be automatically charged.

Ticket fee:

The Wuxi Metro fare system charges based on distance traveled: a base fare of 2 yuan ($0.28) covers trips within 5 kilometers. For distances beyond 5 km up to 15 km, an additional 1 yuan is added for every 5 km (any segment less than 5 km counts as 5 km). From over 15 km to 29 km, 1 yuan is added for every 7 km (any segment less than 7 km counts as 7 km). For journeys exceeding 29 km, 1 yuan is added for every 9 km (any part less than 9 km counts as 9 km).