Line 17 will run from Venus east to Jitouqiao where it will connect with the future Line 9. It will be 26km long with nine stations, two of which will be elevated and seven underground. Line 18 will be 66.8km long with nine underground stations and only one elevated station. Line 18 will run south from Chengdu South mainline station to Tianfu Airport, where there will be two stations, one serving Terminals 3 and 4, and Terminals 1 and 2. Civil works and track laying have been completed on Line 18, whereas civil engineering is in the final stage of completion on Line 17 and mechanical and electrical system installation is in full swing. The two lines will be electrified at 25kV ac rather than 1.5kV dc, which is used on existing metro lines. Drivers lined up in front of the new trains for Chendu's new express metro lines. CRRC has completed delivery of the 26 trains which it is supplying for Line 18. Type testing of the first train was officially launched in the last week of March. Eight trains have been delivered for Line 17, of which five have been commissioned. All 54 drivers recruited to operate the two lines have passed their assessment and acceptance tests and have been officially “posted”.
