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Beijing Launches Large-scale Subway Construction

Plans are being made to expand Beijing's subway network from the current 113 kilometres to over 1,000 kilometres by 2050, according to Liu Hongtao, deputy general manager of Beijing Rail Transport Construction and Management Company. As part of the city's effort to ease serious traffic congestion, subways are expected to handle 50 percent to 60 percent of passenger traffic in Beijing. In downtown areas, plans call commuters are expected to be able to reach a subway within a five-minute walk.

The municipality began construction on the No. 5 subway loop in early 2004, and will begin construction on the No. 4 line and No.10 loop at the end of the year.

"It's the first time that the construction of three subway lines in a city have been launched simultaneously anywhere in the world," said Liu.