Beijing plans to replace and refurbish hundreds of its subway cars on two key metro lines later this year as it moves to modernize the capital's rapid transit system in advance of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The replacement will begin in the second half of this year. By May 2008, 184 new, more modern subway cars will replace old ones on the 31-kilometer line one and the 23-kilometer line two, according to the Beijing Subway Operation Co., Ltd.

An additional 84 cars will be added to those already running on line two, which means trains will run every two minutes, reducing the wait for a subway by a minute.

A train of new cars will be able to carry 400 more passengers than current trains. The new cars will also be wheelchair accessible.

Beijing rapid transit system now has four lines totaling 114 kilometers. They carry 2.1 million passengers a day.

The city will have nine lines totaling 200 km by 2008, and nineteen lines totaling 561.5 km by 2020, which could make it the largest underground rail system in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2007)