Recently, the Capital Window website announced this year's Beijing subway planning. By the end of the year, it plans to open partial sections of Phase III and Phase IV of Line 8 (from Zhushikou Station to Yinghai Station). The reporter learned from the Municipal Transport Commission that the western extension of Line 6 is also expected to open for trial operation by the end of the year. By then, Beijing's underground transportation network will be more efficient and dense, and the total operating mileage of rail transit will increase to 638 kilometers.
In addition, projects such as the Shunyi Tram Line T2, the southern extension of the Changping Line, the southern extension of the Batong Line, the New Airport Line, Phase I of Line 3, and the western extension of Line 6 are under construction. This year, it is also planned to start construction of subway lines such as Line 12 and Line 28.
The southern extension of Line 8 has 5 transfer stations
Beijing Subway Line 8 is a rail transit line running through the central axis of Beijing from north to south. At the end of 2013, all sections of Phase I and Phase II of Line 8 were opened for operation, from Zhuxinzhuang Station in the north to Nanluoguxiang Station in the south, with 5 transfer stations along the line, transferring to the Changping Line, Line 13, Line 10, Line 2, and Line 6 respectively.
It is understood that the planning for Phase III and Phase IV of Line 8 is from the National Art Museum of China Station in the north to Yinghai Station in the south, with a total of 16 stations, passing through three administrative districts: Dongcheng, Fengtai, and Daxing. Among them, 5 stations are transfer stations: Wangfujing Station transfers to Line 1, Qianmen Station transfers to Line 2, Dahongmen Station transfers to Line 10, Zhushikou Station transfers to Line 7, and Yongdingmenwai Station transfers to Line 14.
Rail transit mileage is expected to increase by another 30 kilometers by the end of the year
According to the Beijing "13th Five-Year Plan" rail transit construction plan, by the end of this year, the section from Zhushikou Station to Yinghai Station of Phase III and Phase IV of Line 8 will be opened. It is expected that by the end of 2020, the middle section of Line 8 (National Art Museum of China Station - Zhushikou Station) will also be opened. By then, this "underground central axis" of Beijing will officially achieve full north-south connectivity.
In addition, the reporter learned from the Municipal Transport Commission that this year, in addition to the partial sections of Phase III and Phase IV of Line 8 (Zhushikou Station to Yinghai Station) being opened, the western extension of Line 6 is also expected to open for trial operation. These three sections will greatly enhance the rail transit transportation capacity in western and southern Beijing. By then, Beijing's underground transportation network will be more efficient and dense, and the rail transit operating mileage will increase by another 30 kilometers, reaching a total of 638 kilometers.
Western extension of Line 6
Improving travel conditions in the west, expected to open by the end of 2018
The western extension of Line 6 runs from Jin'anqiao Station to Wuluju Station, crossing Shijingshan District and Haidian District, with a total length of 10.556 kilometers. The southwestern starting point is located within the former Shougang site, and it runs eastward along Jinding South Road, Pingguoyuan South Road, and Tiancun Road, reaching the north of Dinghui Bridge on the West Fourth Ring Road, and connecting with the currently operating Haidian Wuluju Station of Line 6. There are 6 stations in total, of which 3 are transfer stations: Jin'anqiao Station transfers to the S1 Line and Line 11, Pingguoyuan Station transfers to Line 1 and the S1 Line, and Tiancun Station transfers to Line 3 and the L6 Line.
A responsible person from the Municipal Transport Commission once said that the western extension of Line 6 is expected to open for trial operation by the end of this year, which will become the longest horizontal subway line on the Beijing subway map, densify the rail transit network in western Beijing, improve travel conditions in the Shijingshan and Pingguoyuan areas, and relieve the pressure on Subway Line 1.
In addition, Line 6 will also extend southward from Lucheng Station, and the specific route and station settings are still in the planning process.
Southern extension of the Batong Line
Connecting to the Universal Theme Park, expected to open in 2019
The Batong Line connects the East Fourth Ring Road of Beijing with the Tongzhou area. According to the plan, the Batong Line will extend 4.5 kilometers south from the current eastern terminus, Tuqiao Station, to the Universal Theme Park under construction.
It is reported that the first phase of the Universal Theme Park is planned to be completed in 2019 and open in 2020, with an expected annual visitor volume of 10 million after opening.
After departing from Tuqiao Station, the Batong Line train first heads southeast to the inner side of the East Sixth Ring Road, then goes south along the Sixth Ring Road, and finally west to the Universal Theme Park.
According to the plan, the southern extension of the Batong Line is expected to be completed and opened in March 2019. Since the other end of the Batong Line connects to Subway Line 1, it can attract more tourists to reach the scenic area by rail transit.
Shunyi T2 Line
Direct to Airport Terminal 3, expected to open in 2019
The Shunyi District Tram Line T2 is Beijing's second modern tram. Its northern starting point is located at Tianbei Road on the east side of Friendship Hospital (Shunyi Campus), connecting with the existing Line 15 at Guozhan Station and Hualikan Station, and the terminus is at Capital Airport Terminal 3. The line is 19.8 kilometers long, including 16.8 kilometers of double track and 3 kilometers of single track. There are 22 stations in total, with an average station spacing of 893 meters; a vehicle depot for this line is set up near Gangshan South Station, covering an area of about 10 hectares.
The Shunyi Tram Line T2 is planned to be fully operational for trial operation in 2019. By connecting with Subway Line 15 and Capital Airport Terminal 3, it will build another important route between Beijing's urban area and the airport, fill the gap in rail transit in Shunyi District, and greatly facilitate citizens' daily travel.
New Airport Line
Speed up to 160 km/h, expected to open in 2019
The New Airport Line rail transit project is the first autonomous driving suburban express rail line in China with a design speed of 160 km/h. It connects the central urban area with the new airport, passing through Daxing District and Fengtai District. The line is about 41 kilometers long and has three stations: New Airport North Terminal, Cigezhuang, and Caoqiao, all of which can achieve seamless transfers with other rail transit lines or railway lines.
Among them, the North Terminal Station is a comprehensive transfer hub integrating railway, bus, and rail transit, where transfers to the Beijing-Bazhou Intercity Railway, Langzhuo Intercity Railway, and two future reserved lines can be realized; Cigezhuang Station is an underground second-floor three-span station, where transfers to the planned urban railway connecting line S6 can be realized; and at Caoqiao Station, transfers to Line 10 and Line 19 are possible. All three stations of the New Airport Line will be put into use simultaneously with the new airport terminal in 2019.
Southern extension of the Changping Line
Transfer to Line 13, Phase I expected to open in 2020
As an important subway line in northern Beijing, the Changping Line has always had a huge passenger volume. At present, a large number of Changping residents first take the Changping Line and then transfer to Line 13 to enter the central urban area. At the end of 2015, with the northward extension of the Changping Line to Changping urban area, passenger flow increased again. Beijing Subway Company once disclosed that in 2015, the full load rate of Phase I vehicles on the Changping Line was 130%, making it one of the most crowded subways in the city at that time.
Therefore, the southern extension project of the Changping Line is particularly important. According to the current plan, the Changping Line will extend south from Xierqi Station to Jimenqiao Station, with 7 stations from north to south. The first phase of the project is planned to be completed and opened in 2020. Among them, Qinghe Station transfers to Line 13, Liudaokou Station transfers to Line 15, Xitucheng Station transfers to Line 10, Jimenqiao Station transfers to the under-construction Subway Line 12, and at Shangqingqiao Station, there will also be a transfer to a planned line.
Phase I of Line 3
Using fully autonomous driving, expected to open in 2021
Subway Line 3 is a major east-west artery across Beijing that has begun construction. According to the current plan, Line 3 starts from Tiancun Station in Haidian District in the west and ends at Caogezhuang North Station in Chaoyang District in the east, connecting key residential and functional areas such as Tiancun, Ganjiakou, Zhanlanguan, Financial Street, and Dongba along the way. The line is 35.1 kilometers long, all underground. The first phase of Line 3, which is the first to start construction, runs from Dongsishitiao Station in the west to Caogezhuang North Station in the east, with a total length of about 22 kilometers and 15 stations, including 8 transfer stations.
It is reported that the first phase of Line 3 is expected to start track laying in 2020 and open in 2021. By then, the new line will be served by 8A-type trains with a maximum design speed of 80 km/h and a maximum capacity of 3,560 passengers, and will use fully autonomous driving technology.