The Basics of the Beijing Subway

Anyone who's ever visited Beijing knows that the roads are frequently packed with taxis and buses, not to mention bicycles. With so much traffic on the roads, the subway provides a useful alternative for getting around the city.

The Beijing subway consists of eight lines and 123 stations that connect the urban and suburban areas of Beijing. With an average of 3.4 million riders per day, it is the busiest subway in mainland China.

With so many riders, the city is rapidly expanding the subway network. Right before the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, three new lines were opened, and many more are in store for the next few years. By 2015, the city will have 19 lines, so the subway will become more convenient in coming years.

To ride the subway, there is a flat fare of 2 RMB with unlimited transfers. However, a ride on the Airport Express costs 25 RMB. Children get a free ride if they are under 1.2m in height and are riding with a paying adult.

You can either buy a single-ride ticket or a Yikatong card that will allow for multiple rides. Yikatong can also be used on many city buses. As of June 2008, the fare collection system is completely automated.

The subway generally opens at around 5 a.m. in the morning and closes after midnight (with the last trains departing at around 11 p.m.), expect on special occasions that require extended hours of operation. To get exact times for when trains arrive and leave, you will need to consult the official schedule.

Most of the trains run on straight paths, parallel or perpendicular to each other, and intersecting at right angles.

Mobile phones can be used all throughout the system, except for in the tunnels between stations on Lines 1 and 2. There are plans to increase coverage in these areas.

The subway's beginning trace back to 1953, when the idea of the subway was first proposed as part of domestic reconstruction. However, construction of the tracks did not begin until July 1965. The initial line was completed in time for the 20th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1969.

Recently, the subway has been undergoing rapid expansion, because the current infrastructure is no longer sufficient to serve the large number of riders every day. Beijing is investing 200 billion RMB ($29.2 billion USD) to upgrade the subway system, adding 11 lines and increasing the track length to 561 km by 2015.

For other tips for Beijing travel, see this guide about city buses, and this one about Beijing nightlife.