Beijing - Subway Map

Beijing plans for world's longest subway system

The Chinese capital Beijing could have 561 kilometres (349 miles) of subway by 2010 and would supplant London as having the world's longest transit system, the China Daily reported.

The network, which would stretch to 19 lines, will reach every major corner of the city, though the plans are still subject to government approval, the newspaper said.

Cities around China are spending billions of dollars building new subways or upgrading existing systems to try to beat the often chronic traffic jams that have come with years of booming economic growth.

Beijing's four metro lines carry 1.5 million people a day, and another three lines will enter service in time for the 2008 Olympic Games, the newspaper added.

By comparison, the London Underground's network is 408 kilometres with 11 lines that carry more than three million people a day.

No price tag was given for the Beijing expansion, but the city is spending some $40 billion to improve infrastructure including road and rail links for the Olympics.

Beijing is also considering building six underground highways running north-south and east-west to lighten pressure on its overburdened ring roads, the Xinhua news agency added, though some experts have opposed the plan due to safety concerns.

The entire Line 1 from Pingguoyuan to Sihuidong is now 38 km long and provides transfer to Ring Line 2 twice, at Fuxingmen and at Jianguomen. Ring Line 2 is 16 km, so the total network operating in 2000 is 54 km. Most stations have central platforms and are 118m long, but only 10 have escalators. 4 or 6-car-trains are used, which are equipped with acoustic station announcement. For future extensions of the network (8 lines) some stations have already been built as transfer stations: Xizhimen, Dongsishitiao, Jianguomen, Yonghegong and Jishuitan.

Construction of "CityRail" (Line 13 in the overall "rapid transit" planning) started in December 1999. The semicircular line with 16 stations runs from Xizhimen to Dongzhimen (both are stations on the circle Line 2). The 40.8 km line is mainly above ground, either elevated (7.7 km) or at grade (30.3km). After the western section (20.6km) went into operation on 28 Sept. 2002, the eastern section will be opened in January 2003.