Metro service arrived in Qingpu in 2010 with the opening of East Xujing, the western terminus of line 2.

However, this station only services an area adjacent to the district's eastern border with Minhang.

Due to the proximity of the line to various cultural and scenic attractions, specifically the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao and Dianshan Lake, the line's theme is water towns and headstreams of Shanghai.

[9] The line debuted on 30 December 2017, when it opened for "soft" passenger trial operation.

It runs underground beneath Songze Avenue from Hongqiao Railway Station to just west of Panlong Road, where it continues on an elevated section, running on the south side of the road.

The remaining section of the line to the western terminus at Oriental Land is elevated and parallels the Huqingping Highway.

There are a total of 14 stations, 7 elevated and 7 underground; the length of the line is 41.6 kilometres (25.8 mi).

[14] The west extension project of Line 17 will run from Oriental Land station (excluding) to Xicen Station, with a total length of about 6.6 kilometers, which will promote the Cenke Innovation Center.

[10] The first phase of the western extension of the line will be further expanded 13 kilometers to Xicen and Jinze towns, both with an abundance of lakes, wetlands and typical sceneries of watertowns in the southern areas of the Yangtze River Delta.

[17] CASCO TRANAVI GoA3 Line 17 uses 38 6-carriages A-class trains built by Changchun Railway Vehicles or Shanghai Electric.