Nanjing Lukou Airport to the City: New Line 6/S1 Through Trains and Arrival Choices
Last checked: 29 September 2026. Nanjing Metro Line 6 began initial passenger operation today and runs through onto the S1 airport line. This is a substantial change: advice that every airport passenger must change trains at Nanjing South is no longer a reliable general rule.
This guide is for arriving at Nanjing Lukou International Airport, 南京禄口国际机场, and choosing a city connection. It separates what the new through service changes from what it does not: you still need the correct direction, destination station, final walk and operating-time check.
What changed on 29 September?
The opening-day report on the Jiangsu provincial Party news site confirms through operation between Line 6 and S1. The new city section runs from Nanjing South to Qixiashan, serving areas including Minggugong. Through passengers do not need to get off simply because the train crosses the S1/6 boundary.
Nanjing Metro's opening announcement, reported with the operator's service details on 28 September, also says S1's last-train timings change and the previous express arrangements are reorganized. Do not reuse a saved pre-opening S1 timetable. The last departure from Nanjing South is not the last departure from the airport.
Our recommendation is simple: use the through train when it serves your chosen city stop; change lines when your destination actually requires it. “New direct service” does not mean a direct train to every hotel in central Nanjing.
Choose your destination before entering the metro
| Where you need to go | Planning approach | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Nanjing South railway station / 南京南站 | Take the citybound airport service and get off at Nanjing South | Your high-speed train is a separate railway journey, not the metro platform |
| Minggugong / 明故宫 area | Check the through citybound service towards Qixiashan; remain aboard past Nanjing South when the display confirms your stop | Do not change automatically just because an old guide tells you to |
| Xinjiekou / 新街口 | Compare the current planner's interchange options; Line 1 from Nanjing South is a straightforward option to check | Xinjiekou is on Lines 1 and 2, not a direct S1 stop |
| A hotel with an awkward final walk, or arrival after rail service | Compare a licensed taxi or booked car with any currently operating airport bus | Include the final connection, not just the airport-to-city portion |
For Xinjiekou, the metro operator's published station-access response identifies it as a Lines 1/2 interchange and records numerous exits. Choosing an exit matters when carrying luggage: the closest-looking route on a map may include stairs. Ask your hotel for its recommended exit and confirm lift availability with station staff.
Before choosing a hotel purely around this transfer, compare its location with the places you actually plan to visit in our Nanjing first-visit guide. An easy airport trip should not create unnecessary daily travel afterwards.
A practical arrival sequence
- Finish arrival formalities first. Do not calculate your train connection from touchdown alone; you still need to leave the aircraft, collect checked luggage where applicable and reach public arrivals.
- Save your hotel's Chinese address. Keep both the name and the exact branch. Similar hotel names are not interchangeable.
- Follow current metro signs. Use 禄口机场 for the airport station. Do not use an old photograph as a map of terminal doors or counters.
- Select the final station. For a through metro journey, identify your actual city destination rather than assuming the airport line's old endpoint is where you must exit.
- Check the platform display. Citybound service goes towards Nanjing South and the Line 6 city section. Confirm that your particular train serves the stop you need.
- Keep your ticket or ride credential ready until exit. If you change lines, follow interchange signs rather than leaving the paid area without a reason.
If your phone is not ready for transport apps, do not make account setup the critical step between landing and leaving the airport. Keep a staffed-ticket option in mind and ask for help with the destination name. Our China phone and map setup guide explains what to prepare before arrival.
Late arrivals: check two closing times, not one
You need a workable departure from the airport and any onward metro connection. Reaching Nanjing South before one line stops does not guarantee that the next line or your final connection is still running. Because the operating pattern changed today, this article deliberately does not publish an unverified airport last-train minute.
Use the current operator journey information or ask station staff for the last usable connection to your destination. The opening announcement gives the metro service number as 025-51899999. Ask a specific question: “Can I still reach this station tonight?” rather than only “Is the metro open?”
Holiday extensions are not a universal airport promise. The city's September holiday service notice describes selected late departures on Lines 1 and 3 at Nanjing South. Do not infer that S1 runs all night from an extension on a different line.
When a taxi or airport bus is the better choice
For several people carrying large cases, compare the whole group's metro cost and final walk with a door-to-door vehicle quote. At the airport, follow the official taxi signage or your booked car's designated pick-up instructions. Save the registration and meeting point shown by the booking, and make sure the vehicle has room for both people and luggage.
For an airport bus, ask the staffed sales point which service is operating now and where you will actually be dropped off. A stop described as “city centre” is not automatically close to your hotel. Check whether your remaining journey is walkable for your group or requires another vehicle.
We could not verify a current airport-published bus timetable and fare during this update, so old online bus prices are not presented as current. Nor is there a fixed taxi cost promised here: route, traffic, waiting and the selected vehicle affect the actual journey. Make the comparison using the live quote or current posted tariff before committing.
Connecting to a high-speed train at Nanjing South
Search your rail ticket for 南京南. Nanjing station and Nanjing South are different destinations. Once off the metro, follow railway-departure signs and allow for entry, security and reaching the gate. Do not assume that an air-to-metro or rail-to-metro convenience works in the reverse direction.
The metro operator's official transfer explanation distinguishes the security standards of railway and metro travel. For passport checks and railway boarding, use our foreign-passport high-speed rail guide.
Finally, avoid a tight non-refundable rail connection based on a map's train-running time alone. A workable plan includes unpredictable flight arrival and baggage time. If the itinerary cannot tolerate a delay, stay in Nanjing first or choose a later onward service rather than treating the new through metro as a guarantee against missed connections.
