Beijing urban rail network to reach 608 km

The length of urban rail lines in operation in Beijing will reach 608.20 kilometers by the end of this year, Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.

At present, 20 construction projects to build more than 350 km of track are under way, the report quoted Yang Guangwu, chief engineer of Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office, as saying.

Two more projects will also kick off later this year to build 12.60 km.

The urban rail network in Beijing, including the subway and light rail systems, is planned to total more than 1,500 km by 2020.

China is responsible for 80 percent of the global urban rail transit construction planned for the next five years, and the city of Beijing boasts most passenger lines under construction and the highest daily passenger volume, as well as the strongest technology integration in rail transit with independent intellectual property rights.

A whitepaper titled Development of China’s Transport released by the State Council in December envisions a 3,000-km increase in mass transit rail lines, which supports the need for the upcoming new high of urban rail line construction in the next five years.

Cheng Si contributed to this story.