Travel to Beijing and avoid the traffic rush on the roads by using the Subway system. The subway provides an easy efficient way to go sightseeing and get around the nations capital city. Beijing Tours provides information on places to see and explore.
Subways like the one in Bejing can only be found in the major cities within China such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Tianjin, and Guangzhou. Beijing has the second most prominent system behind that of Shanghai’s. Both are renowned worldwide as two of the best underground transport systems alongside those of London and New York.
Beijing subway’s first lined opened in 1969 and now has 14 operating lines. However, the huge demand and popularity of the system is not met by this infrastructure and there is plan to develop a further 5 lines by 2015. The new lines will seek to improve the system especially in the South and West of the city, whilst also extending other existing lines.
Recognizing a subway station in Beijing is easy. Any sign with the letter ‘D’ with a circle around it denotes a subway station.
Using the subway has never been easier with a rate of 2RMB placed on all journeys (except the airport express which is 25RMB). Children below 1.2m also travel for free when accompanied by a paying adult. The Yikatong or integrated circuit card (ICC Card) can be purchased for a 20RMB deposit and recharged at any ticket counter or vending machine in the station.
During rush hour the amount of users can be overwhelming. To increase the safety within the subway system there are passenger searches. An idea that was introduced during the 2008 Olympics, it requires that bags of the travellers go through a scanning system. Any potentially dangerous/harmful substances or objects are subject to confiscation.
The Beijing authorities have also aimed to improve the subway’s safety systems by learning from the mistakes of other systems around the world. For example, after the fires in the South Korea subway station Beijing removed all shops and vendors from inside the subway station and installed numerous luminous exit signs to help in the event of an emergency evacuation.
The signs in the subway are on both sides and easy to follow. By reading them it is easy to work out which way you need to go. Within the trains there is a unique lighting system that shows what direction you are heading in and what stop is next. Announcements in the tube are made in Chinese and English although during rush hour it may be hard to hear these.
Each Station has four exits A, B, C, & D. It is important to get out at the right exit to make arriving at your desired location easier. There are clear maps and signs inside the subway that show where the exits are and where they come out.
Trains in the subway begin around 5am and the last leave at around 11pm.
For further travel details about china visit China Tours.
Related posts:
