The Beijing rail management company announced on Tuesday that it has completed laying the tracks on an express rail between the downtown area and Beijing Capital International Airport.

The 28-km light rail runs from Dongzhimen, on the northeast corner of the second ring road which encircles downtown Beijing, to the airport in the northeast suburbs.

Sources with the company said they would test run trains on the rails, and continue with installing electricity, signal and telecommunications equipment.

Passengers bound for the airport can get boarding passes and check in luggage at the Dongzhimen station and only have to go through security checks at the airport before taking off.

The railway, with four stops at Dongzhimen, Sanyuan Bridge and two terminals (T2 and T3) of the airport, will be in operation before the Olympics in August 2008.

The rail's highest speed will be 110 km per hour, making the journey from Dongzhimen to the airport to about 16 minutes.

Beijing, with a population of 17 million, had 3.08 million registered motor vehicles as of August. It has implemented a slew of measures, including slashing bus fares, metro ticket prices and improving public transit infrastructure to ease traffic pressure and improve air quality ahead of the Olympics.

Beijing has five existing rail lines, extending 141 kilometers. The newest, the No. 5 line, runs through the heart of Beijing from north to south. The city will have nine lines totaling 200 km by 2008, and 19 lines totaling 561.5 km by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2007)