At 10:30 a.m. on June 28, the first phase of Hangzhou Metro Line 8, the Hangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway and the Hangzhou-Shaoxing Intercity Railway (the Keqiao section of Shaoxing Rail Transit Line 1) opened on the same day, linking the rail transit networks of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Shaoxing. West Lake, Jian Lake and Juan Lake are now connected by a single rail line, and the total mileage of the rail transit network in the Hangzhou metropolitan area has reached 391 kilometers.

To enhance the rail transit experience for residents of the three cities and let them enjoy the convenience of an interconnected rail network, the rail transit systems of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Shaoxing now support "one-ticket" transfers. That is, after passengers from any of the three cities get off at an interchange station between two cities, they do not need to exit and buy a new ticket to ride the other city's rail transit; they can transfer conveniently within the paid area of the station.

With this, the "metropolitan area on rails" is more closely integrated, and the Hangzhou metropolitan area's "one-hour commuting circle" is gradually taking shape. This metropolitan transportation network woven from rail lines will further advance the integrated economic development of the three cities, give play to the same-city effect of the Hangzhou metropolitan area, and support the strategy of building a "strong transportation province."

Hangzhou Metro Line 8 has a total length of 17.1 kilometers and 9 stations, all located in Qiantang District. Two of them are interchange stations: Wenhai South Road Station, where passengers can transfer to Line 1, and Qingliu Middle Road Station, where they can transfer to Line 7. The trains use a 6-car formation with 4 motored and 2 trailer cars, an A-type aluminum alloy welded drum-shaped car body, a maximum operating speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and a maximum passenger capacity of 2,460 people.

The Hangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway offers "seamless transfer" to the Linping branch of Line 1. The Hangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway project starts at Yuhang High-Speed Railway Station in Linping District, Hangzhou, and ends at Zhejiang University International Campus Station in Haining, Jiaxing. The line is 46.38 kilometers long and has 12 stations (8 elevated and 4 underground). It connects with Hangzhou Metro Line 1 at Yuhang High-Speed Railway Station via a connecting passage. The trains use a 4-car B-type formation with a maximum operating speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The journey from Haining Leather City Station to Yuhang High-Speed Railway Station takes about half an hour, and the six pairs of express trains stopping at major stations can save another 10 minutes. The trip from Haining's urban area to downtown Hangzhou takes about one hour.

The Hangzhou-Shaoxing Intercity Railway offers "stacked-island transfer" to Line 5. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing Intercity Railway project (the Keqiao section of Shaoxing Rail Transit Line 1) starts at Guniangqiao Station in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, where it transfers with Hangzhou Metro Line 5 via stacked island platforms, and ends at China Textile City Station on Diyang Road in Keqiao District, Shaoxing, where it operates through with Shaoxing Rail Transit Line 1. The line is 20.3 kilometers long and has 10 stations. The trains use a 6-car B-type formation with a maximum operating speed of 100 kilometers per hour.