The Hefei Metro, Explained: Four Lines and the Stations That Matter

Hefei's rail network is joined up now, and the metro covers most of what you need for commuting and for getting around as a visitor. If you have just arrived, learning how a few trunk lines run changes your day immediately — from a metro entrance, crossing most of Hefei usually takes 30 minutes to an hour.

This guide sticks to the four lines that matter for Jushe Hostel's five locations: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, and Line 5, covering where each one runs, which stations count, and how to reach us.

The short version: all five locations are at a metro stop

Jushe has exactly one hard rule for picking a site: the metro is right outside. Here is how that maps out.

· Line 1: HFUT South Campus (200 m from HFUT South Campus station) and Hefei Railway Station (about 300 m from the station)
· Line 2: Gaoxin West Bus Station (300 m outside Exit C), Sanxiaokou, and West Qilitang
· Line 3: West Qilitang and Hefei Railway Station
· Line 5: Sanxiaokou

Line 1: the north–south spine that links both rail hubs

Line 1 was Hefei's first, running north to south. Its biggest advantage is that it strings together Hefei Railway Station and Hefei South Station, the high-speed rail hub — the two doors most people use coming into and out of the city.

From HFUT South Campus, Hefei Railway Station is five stops and about 20 minutes; Hefei South Station is also five stops and about 20 minutes. Neither trip needs a taxi, which is a real advantage if you are interviewing in other cities or going home on weekends. The property is 200 meters from Exit A of HFUT station on Line 1, about a three-minute walk.

Hefei Railway Station takes the same idea further: five minutes on foot and you are inside the station. Late arrivals and early departures do not involve queuing in a ride-hailing app.

Line 2: east to west, from the High-Tech Zone straight downtown

Line 2 crosses the city on its east–west axis and is the single most useful line for job-hunting commutes. The western end reaches the High-Tech Zone, and running east it passes Sanlian, Sanxiaokou, Dadongmen, and the other core commercial districts, putting the industrial zones and the downtown office towers on the same line.

From Gaoxin West Bus Station, board at the door, ride two or three stops east and you are in the Zhengwu District; stay on to Sanxiaokou or Dadongmen and you are downtown. Work in the High-Tech Zone, interview in Zhengwu — one train covers both. The property is 300 meters from Exit C, about a five-minute walk.

Sanxiaokou puts you at the middle of that same line, one street from the pedestrian mall, in the busiest part of the city.

Line 3: the diagonal that turns two lines into a network

Line 3 runs southwest to northeast and interchanges with both Line 1 and Line 2. Its job is to tie Line 1's north–south axis and Line 2's east–west axis into an actual network, so two points that are not on the same line are still one transfer apart.

West Qilitang sits at a station served by both Line 2 and Line 3, about a five-minute walk away, right beside the Sanlian commercial hub, Heart City, and the Guanting Road food street — the easiest of our locations for daily life. Hefei Railway Station gets the Line 1 and Line 3 interchange, which reaches essentially the whole city.

Line 5: a second north–south route through the center

Line 5 meets Line 2 downtown at Sanxiaokou station, giving the old city a new north–south option. That makes Sanxiaokou one of the best-connected properties we have: Line 2 handles east and west, Line 5 handles north and south, and most downtown office buildings are either walkable or two or three stops away.

Three trips you will probably make

Coming from Hefei Railway Station. The simplest option is Hefei Railway Station, five minutes on foot. If you would rather be near HFUT or in Baohe, transfer inside the station to Line 1 and ride five stops to HFUT South Campus, about 20 minutes.

Coming from Hefei South Station (high-speed rail). Line 1 northbound, five stops to HFUT South Campus, about 20 minutes. For downtown or the High-Tech Zone, take Line 1 and transfer to Line 2 — east to Sanxiaokou, west to West Bus Station.

Coming from Xinqiao International Airport. The most reliable combination right now is the airport bus plus the metro, roughly an hour door to door. If you land late and want to be horizontal quickly, Gaoxin West Bus Station is the fastest of our locations to reach from the airport by car — 26.1 km, about 24 minutes, all expressway.

Practical tips for riding

Use the QR code on your phone instead of buying single tickets. Alipay and WeChat both support Hefei Metro's ride code — scan in, scan out, skip the ticket line entirely.

Group trips on the same line into the same day. This one matters most for job seekers. Metro travel time is predictable; taxi time is not. On Hefei's main roads at rush hour, a 20-minute drive routinely takes 50. Walk an extra five minutes for a metro connection rather than scheduling an interview that needs two bus transfers.

Check the last train before you go out. Last-train times differ by line. If you have evening plans, confirm on the metro's official channels before heading out rather than guessing.

Staying near an interchange gives you the most flexibility. That is exactly why Jushe put locations at two-line stations — West Qilitang, Sanxiaokou, Hefei Railway Station. If the direction of your job search changes, you do not have to move.