The Beijing Subway is expanding its network with three new lines (or parts of lines) opening for trial runs later this month. David Feng, our expert on all things related to the Beijing's rapidly expanding subway system, gives us a quick outline of what's going to open soon--and what's going to have to wait a few years ...
Read more about Beijing's big plans to expand the subway
Line 8 | Beitucheng (South Gate of Forest Park) to Lincuiqiao (Huilongguan Dongadajie)
This line will be an extension of what used to be called the Olympic Branch Line. When it reopens, it will be extended to northern Beijing's Huilongguan community (read: metropolis) and will incorporate a transfer with Line 13, relieving travelers on the largely-overground line. A southern exit at the Huoying interchange is also in the works, so that residents south of the nearby railway line will finally also get direct access to the underground dragon. Line 8 is due to extend in a few years' time to the Zhuxinzhuang interchange with the Changping Line, as well as head down to the National Art Museum, passing Houhai and Shichahai in its tracks. A final extension of Line 8 will bring it through Wangfujing and Qianmen to Nanyuan in southern Beijing.
Line 9 | Guogongzhuang to Beijing West Railway Station
The long-awaited Line 9 will bring Subway services to the Beijing West Railway Station, although for the moment services will only head south to Fengtai and Fangshan. The rest of the line opens next year, when it will link with Line 4 at the National Library station. Both termini feature convenient cross-platform interchanges, so transfer times will be sharply cut. All stations will be fully underground. There will be planned interchanges with Lines 4, 6, 7, 10, 14 and 16, amongst other lines, and the Guogongzhuang interchange will also link riders to the Fangshan Line.
Line 15 | Houshayu to Fengbo
This extension to Line 15 brings subway services to Shunyi in northeastern suburban Beijing. Line 15 will continue underground to the east bank of the Chaobai River at its Fengbo terminus. Before 2015, Line 15 will also head west to Datun and around Beishatan and Tsinghua University. Line 15 already links presently to the expat-rich Euro Plaza and Capital Paradise communities not far from the airport.
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FINALLY, you're back... was beginning to worry about ya david. Anyway, yea, I feel for mrbeijingles comments on the lack of improvement. We really need those express lines and stat. As for the grids, I am totally for em. It makes it stupidly simple to add more lines and easy to navigate the city. The "straight line" thing just isn't gonna happen anytime soon though... too much sensitive stuff in the heart that won't allow it to happen, period.
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Once again this year brings no great improvements in the subway system. It just allows more people from the suburbs to get into the city, but it doesn't alleviate any of the current congestion problems or reduce the time to takes to get from two places in the city. In fact, with the line 8 extension, I suspect line 10 will be even more crowded. Given the difficulty in finding taxis nowadays, it's very disappointing and frustrating. I wish we could see some more innovation in the way the stations and subways lines are designed. For example, I don't understand the philosophy of building subway lines in a grid. Even after all of these subway lines are done, there will be no short, simple, easy way to get from the Northeast to the Southwest, and the Northwest to the Southeast. Isn't the shortest way between two places a straight line? I guess we'll just have to get used to only traveling only east-west & north-south to get around this place. I suggest the Beijing government take a look at the Shanghai subway system and change their design plans before it's too late.