Three new subway lines in Beijing, including one to the airport, will start trial operations before the 2008 Olympics get under way.

 

Line 1, a route connecting Dongzhimen Station on the eastern Second Ring Road and Beijing Capital International Airport, is slated to begin operation on June 30, 2008.

 

The line features four stops in total. Two are at the No. 2 and No. 3 terminal buildings at the airport. The new line will shorten the trip to the airport to only 16 minutes, compared to at least half an hour currently.

 

Line 5 is scheduled to open in September this year. The line is 27.6 kilometers long and extends from Tai Pingzhuang Station on the northern Third Ring Road to Yizhuangin Daxing County, a suburb of Beijing. The total investment in Line 5 is 12 billion yuan.

 

Line 10 will meet Line 5 at Song Jiazhuang Station outside the southern Third Ring Road for transfers, and will start operation on June 30, 2008.

 

Line 4 is expected to open on September 30, 2009. It runs from Majialou on the southern Fourth Ring Road and terminates at Longbeicun near the Summer Palace in northwestern Beijing.

 

264 New Trains for Existing Lines

 

In addition, the two existing subway lines, Line 1 and Line 2, will start introducing new trains in the second half of this year. By May 2008, 264 new trains will be running.

 

Each carriage will be wider than before, with one train able to accommodate 1,428 passengers, around 400 more than the current ones. The new trains have advanced signaling systems to not only promote safety but also improve time efficiency.

 

The time interval between trains on Line 2 is expected to be reduced by one minute to only two minutes during rush hour.

 

Moreover, more special facilities are to be introduced, including wheelchair ramps and non-obstacle facilities for the handicapped.

 

(CRI January 18, 2007)