New metro line sections to open for trial use at year's end

The western extension of Metro Line 6 and the Phase-3 and Phase-4 sections of Metro Line 8 of Beijing recently had a no-load test run, according to Beijing MTR Construction Administration Corporation. The trial use of the lines is expected to start at the end of the year.

The western extension of Line 6 stretches 10.56 kilometers and has six stations. From the Jin'anqiao Station, passengers will be able to transfer to Line S1 and the planned Line 11. When the Pingguoyuan hub is completed, passengers will be able to transfer to Line S1 and Line 1 via the Pinguoyuan Station, and the Tiancun Station will be connected with Line 3.

In the future, Line 6 will have 34 stations in total, with 672 trains in service. It will become the second east-west artery running across Beijing, alleviating congestion, particularly the passenger volume on Line 1.

In terms of construction technology, the interval assembly structure and the intelligent fault diagnosis system for electromechanical equipment are used on Line 6's extension project, the first time ever in the construction of metro lines.

Part of Phase-3 section of Metro Line 8 to open by year's end

The Phase-3 section of Line 8 goes southward from the National Art Museum of China to Daxing district and ends at Wufutang. The section has a total length of 17.3 kilometers, with 14 stations in total, including five transfer stations. The Phase-4 section goes from Wufutang Station to Yinghai Station.

About 30 percent of the stations on Line 8 are transfer stations, with transfer time to be controlled to within five minutes.

Part of the Phase-3 section will be open by the end of the year, including the south of Zhushikou Station. The part from Zhushikou to Qianmen will remain under construction. The three stations of Wangfujing North, Wangfujing and Qianmen are expected to open three years later.

In addition, the Phase-2 section of Line 8 from National Art Museum Station will be put to use at the end of the year. The 1.88-kilometer-long section will connect with the Phase-1 section of Line 8.

Highlights of new stations

The design concept for the western extension project of Line 6 highlights the continuation of the "Corridor of the Capital City of Beijing," connecting Beijing's past, present and future.

As the project lies in the west side of Beijing, the four standard stations all use red brick walls and have ceilings that are higher than usual, giving them a western industrial appearance.

There are two specially-designed stations. Pingguoyuan Station highlights the elements of trees, and Jin'anqiao Station relives the memories of the Shougang Group and creates a feeling of modernity through the naked equipment and modern aluminum plate.

The Phase-3 Section of Line 8 is the north-south rail artery of Beijing, most of which lies below the central axis of the ancient capital city. The decoration scheme for the stations highlights this central axis, creating a feeling of seeing the axis from the entrance. Among them, Yongdingmenwai Dajie Station uses a colored silhouette to present the artistic effect of overlooking the city from a point in the south.

Several new major metro lines now under construction

The construction of the city's underground transportation system remains in full swing, with more than a dozen lines now under construction. Three stations will be built on the Phase-1 section of the new Airport Metro Line, which will stretch 41 kilometers, and the trains are expected to reach a speed of 120 kilometers per hour; the Urban Independent Line 12 will start from Sijiqingqiao South in the west, run along the West 4th Ring Road and Yuanda Road to the North 3rd Ring Road, Fangyuanxi Road and Dongba Street, and terminate at the west end of Guanzhuang Road, adding up to a total length of 29.2 kilometers with 21 underground stations including 15 transfer stations, and connecting to 14 other metro lines. This project is expected to alleviate the pressure of passenger flow in the North 3rd Ring Road, North 4th Ring Road and the northern parts of Line 10.

The Phase-1 section of Line 3 runs from Dongsishitiao Station to Caogezhuangbei Station, covering around 22 kilometers interspersed by 15 underground stations, and is aimed at facilitating commuting in the northeastern corner of Beijing. Construction has started for all stations west of Dongbazhongjie Station; Line 17, which stretches nearly 50 kilometers, runs through the south to the north from Changping Future Sci-tech City to Ciqu in Yizhuang. This phase, projected to be put into use in two or three years, will reach Shilihe as its terminus. The eastern extension of Line 7 will be opened up simultaneously with Universal Studios.