Improving Urban Rail Transportation in BeijingBeijing will begin construction of its first light railway this month, a key measure taken by the Chinese capital to ease already burdened ground transportation and to promote economic development of the Zhongguancun area, known as China's "Silicon Valley".The light railway will allow residents living in the northern suburbs of Beijing to travel with greater convenience as the new line will be connected with the subway loop in the downtown area. Cost of the 40.5-km light railway is estimated to reach 5.864 billion yuan (about 708 million U.S. dollars). The first phase of project is scheduled to be completed by 2001, and the second phase by 2005. Beijing first tried city rail transportation in 1965. A subway linking western Beijing's Pingguoyuan with Beijing Railway Station commenced operation in 1969. It was the first subway in China. Construction began on the loop line in 1971 and it was put into operation in 1984. The straight line starting from Pingguoyuan was extended to Bawangfen in the east and the extended line was put into use in June this year. About 500 million passengers, or over 15 percent of all people taking public transportation in Beijing, use the subway annually. Beijing plans to start building a subway linking its southern suburbs with its northern suburbs this year. The urban rail transportation in Beijing is planned to consist of 13 artery lines and two lateral lines with a total length of 408 kilometers. Half of Beijing's public passenger traffic are expected to travel by rail when this is completed. |
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