METROBITS - Unearthing the world's subways' details since 2004
Unearthing the world's subways' details since 2004
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Beijing

aka Peking, Municipality of Beijing, China


Date of opening1 Oct 1969
Network length775.16 km (481.77 mi)
Stations442 (361*)
Lines25        Line history cityrailtransit.com
Stations per line17.68
Avg. station distance1,859 m (1.16 mi)
Avg. line length31.01 km (19.27 mi)
*with transfer stations counted once
Numerical data by J. Serradell, 2 Jan 2023
System typeMetro, known as Subway
Daily ridership (by J. Kennes)6.74 million (as of 2012)
Daily ridership per km (per mi)8,690 (5,400)
Fare (10 km/10 stops; by UBS)0.15 EUR (as of 2009); access/exit gates
TracksRight side, gauge: 1435 mm
Power supplyThird rail, 825 V
Air-conditioned trainsYes
Walk-through trainsAll lines
Rubber-tyred trains
Driverless linesYanfang line (since 2017)
Platform screen doorsPGDs on lines 5, 13. PSDs on lines 8, 10
World Metro Database




Official map
Source: jpg, © 2010 bjsubway.com


To-scale map
Source: cityrailtransit.com

Disclaimer: Maps are copyrighted. The previews on this page are for informational purposes only. Please respect copyright and always refer to original maps.







Metro Arts and Architecture

Examples of interesting station design:


Rating: 1 star (bronze)  Beijing

Line 5 has a few interesting stations, the most striking one being Beiyuan North station. Line 15 consists of unique stations, all with elements in Chinese red. Line 4 has the most art in it, stations have frescos inspired by their surrounds. Line 6 stations are designed using grey bricks resembling the old buoldings and the Hutong district it passes. Line 10 stations under the CBD reflect the metal and modernity of skyscapers [globaltimes.cn].

Photo [beijing2008.cn]: Beiyuan North station from 2007, resembling a silkworm pod.
Line 8 has diverse notable stations, for example Zhuxinzhuang, South Gate of Forest Park station, Olympic Green, Olympic Sports Center, Beitucheng, Guloudajie, Xizhimen.

Photo [commons.wikimedia.org]: South Gate of Forest Park station from 2008.
On the new line 16, almost all stations have chandeliers and Chinese decorations in them.

Photo [commons.wikimedia.org]: Xibeiwang station from 2017, a typical line 16 station.




Self-Guided Tour

Try the following tour, recommended by residents or metro enthusiasts:

The northern part of line 8 has interesting stations, lines 4 and 5 also have some. On the newer line 16 in the northwest, almost all stations have chandeliers and Chinese decorations. Ride the Maglev line S1 in the far west for its interesting technology. Yanfang Line in the southwest is driverless.




Intercity Metros

Beijing is part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster of metro/subway cities with the following urban rail links:

  Beijing    Xiongan Line R1, Beijing Daxing Airport Express (commuter metro)    Xiongan      104 km





Relationships with Other Metros

Bombardier ART family
Members: Beijing (Airport Line), Detroit (people mover), Kuala Lumpur (Kelana Jaya Line), Miami (Metromover), New York (AirTrain JFK), Toronto (Scarborough RT), Vancouver (Expo Line, Millennium Line), Yongin (EverLine),
Characteristics: Similar 'automated rapid transit' trains. Vancouver and Kuala Lumpur use LIM technology.
Chinese family
Members: Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan,
Characteristics: Unadorned, clean and solid station design, often using coloured plates. Western-style trains. Hong Kong acted as consultant for most Chinese metro cities.




Maglev or LIM Technology

Maglev: Maglev trains utilize the repelling force of magnets to float and stay guided:
  • Line S1 (aka Mentougou Line) (commuter metro), opening: 30 Dec 2017, 18.9 km, 8 stations, 10 minutes, 110 km/h, CNR,
LIM: Linear Induction Motor technology utilizes the repelling and attracting forces of electromagnets to move steel-on-wheel trains forward:
  • Airport Line




Circle Lines

Isolated circle - Line 10 - 57.1 km - 45 stations - round trip 104 minutes - opened 2008 - completed 2013.
Isolated circle - Line 2 - 28 km - 18 stations - round trip 43 minutes - opened 1984 - completed 1987.
Terminal loop - Airport Express - 2 stations - completed 2008 - unidirectional.




Departure Procedure and Sounds

All trains (except Line 5, 8 and 10) have a loud ringing bell sound moments before the doors close. Older trains have a faint beep when the doors open and close. Newer trains have 1 or 2 beeps when the doors open and 1, 2 or 3 beeps as the doors close depending on the line. All announcements are in Mandarin and English: "Lieche qianfang de chezhan shi [name of station]. You zai [station] xiache de chengke, qing nin tiqian zuo hao zhunbei. [Station] jiu yao dao le." (Which means: The next station for this train is [station]. Passengers alighting at [station], please get ready. We will soon be arriving at [station]" (mp3 from beijing-visitor.com). When the train gets into the station: "[station] dao le", which means, "we've arrived at [station]".



Line 1 train departing from Jianguomen station.

Duration: 0:41  HD

More videos...





Handpicked Resources

bjsubway.com Official website
mtr.bj.cnUnderground Landscape. Beijing MTR. Works of art on Line 4, 14, 16 and Daxing Line
mtr.bj.cn Official website (Beijing MTR)








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