Beijing's train and subway systems

Train

Rail is the most commonly used transport for the Chinese to make domestic long-distance tours. There are four railway stations in Beijing: Beijing Railway Station (east Beijing), Beijing West Railway Station (southwest), Yongdingmen Station (south) and Xizhimen Station (north). Many buses go there from all over the city.

Subway

Although sometimes crowded, the subway can be the fastest way to get around the centre city area.

The Beijing subway system (ditie) consists of three rail lines and one light-rail line. The two most used lines, Line 1 (the east-west line) and Line 2 (the loop line), have recently been joined to the Batong Line (extending the old eastern terminus of Sihui Dong to the residential districts of Tongzhou District) and the light-rail northern Line 13. Anticipating the traffic, the subway can often beat a taxi across town.

Briefly, to get the subway you enter the closest station, buy a ticket from the ticket window and ride. A ticket between any two stations on the main Line 1/ 2 network costs a flat 3 RMB. Riding between any two stations on the Line 13 also costs 3 yuan. Simply ask at the ticket counter for 'san kuai' (yuan) and she will give you a small paper ticket (piao). Surrender your piao at the entrance to the platform and enjoy the ride.

Trains arrive every few minutes from 5.15 am-10.40 pm. Route signs are bilingual and all stations are announced in English and Chinese. It can be a bit disorientating - even for Beijingers - trying to locate the correct exit. Our tip - make a mental note of your train's direction and your destination on the subway map.

The two interchange stations between Line 1 and the loop line are Jianguomen and Fuxingmen, the interchange stations between the loop line and Line 13 are Dongzhimen and Xizhimen, and you can change from Line 1 to the Batong Line at Sihui and Sihuidong stations. The set ticket for Line 1/2 and Line 13 and for Line 1/2 and Batong Line is 4 yuan.