The northwest section of Metro Line 2 has propelled Hangzhou Metro into an era of 1 million daily passenger trips. Compared to before its opening, both total network ridership and ridership on Lines 1, 2, and 4 have grown significantly. Over the next four and a half years, the "weaving" of Hangzhou Metro's large network will continue at a rapid pace, and Phase I of Metro Line 9 is one of the 66 projects that has attracted considerable public attention.
Phase I of Metro Line 9 is divided into south and north sections, totaling 16.994 kilometers with 14 new stations, all underground. The middle section connecting the two is the already operational Linping branch of Line 1. The south section runs from Sijiqing Station to Keyun Center Station (exclusive), with a new line length of 10.850 kilometers and 10 stations; the north section runs from Linping Station (exclusive) to Changda Road Station, with a new line length of 6.144 kilometers and 4 stations.
Phase I of Line 9 has a total of 4 transfer stations, including 3 in the south section: Sijiqing Station (transfer with Line 7), Qianjiang Road Station (transfer with Lines 2 and 4), and Sanbao Station (transfer with Phase II of Line 6); and 1 transfer station in the north section: Qiushan Avenue Station (transfer with Phase II of Line 3).
Phase I of Line 9 connects Linping and Sijiqing at both ends, passing through Qianjiang New City, Jiuqiao Commercial City, Linping New City, Yuhang Economic Development Zone, and others. It will play a significant leading role in densifying the urban east network, facilitating public travel, and promoting future urbanization along the Sanbao–Jiubao riverside area, and will advance the development and construction of the Linping sub-city and new cities along the line. At the same time, the metro will share passenger flow, significantly reducing traffic pressure on Qingjiang Road, Jiefang East Road, and Hanghai Road around Sijiqing.
It is understood that Phase I of Metro Line 9 is scheduled for construction from 2017 to 2020, with completion expected in June 2020.