The invention discloses an air environment purification system for a subway tunnel. The system comprises a relatively closed unit, a polluted air purification unit, a metal pollutant recovery unit and an electric control unit. A running method of the air environment purification system comprises the steps that the relatively closed air environment purification system is arranged in a subway tunnel and along the inner wall of the tunnel; by utilizing an air curtain, an air collection box, an air purification device, an ion purification device, an air exhausting and dust cleaning device, a vacuum dust suction device, a large-wave adsorption purification device, a super-rough surface adsorption purification device, an electromagnetic collection device and other devices of the purification system, polluted air near the interior of the tunnel is purified, and the inner air environment of the whole tunnel is purified by several-time running of a train runs several times, wherein the polluted air is brought by piston wind formed when the train moves in the tunnel. According to the air environment purification system for the subway tunnel, an integrated purification mode of coping with all motions by remaining motionless is adopted, the running process of the train is the process of purifying air in the subway tunnel, and the defects are overcome that movable subway tunnel cleaning equipment and distributed installation equipment are high in energy consumption, high in late-period management cost and the like.