All Aboard

As of yesterday, making a pilgrimage from the heights of the Temple of Heaven to the heavenly solace of the Lama Temple will require nothing more than going underground and a measly 2 RMB. After five years and a reported RMB 12 billion ($US 1.45 billion), Beijing's Line 5 is not just extending the city's rail network by more than a fifth: it is also doing it in truly futuristic style. That may not be saying much given the uninspired 1970's modernism of our current subway lines, but Five's additions are a big step up. Aside from handicapped accessibility and air conditioning, we're down with a few other new features of the subway:

No other subway in the world can claim to have flatscreen TVs on board and on the platform, which mean we'll never be far from live traffic and weather information, news bites, our favorite wenming-pushing PSAs, and, come next summer, the Big Games.

The new trains also boast top speeds of 80 km/hr and can complete the 27.6 km journey in 40 minutes, less than half of the time it would take a bus or car to go the same distance. The cars, while not quite as large as reported on the official website of the 2008 Olympics (20m wide and 50m-tall) are more spacious than the cars currently running on line 1 and 2 and are connected in accordion fashion with no doors in between the carriages, making it possible (finally!) to practice your 400 meter dash up and down the entire length of the train.

With special, less slippery flooring and an improved undercarriage, the ride is smoother than on Lines 1 and 2, allowing more chances to practice your balance beam routine perhaps.

Data terminals at each station provide up-to-the-minute bulletins, local maps and, brilliantly, lists of nearby bus lines to facilitate a speedy exit; unfortunately though such a wealth of information is currently only available in Chinese.

Noise-decreasing equipment will keep out the sound of the underground, though probably won't do much to shush the chatter of riders on cell phones, which are now usable even in tunnels.

A wireless communication system on board can display station information and live television, while on-board and on-platform cameras let the police keep watch over nearly every inch of the stations.

Each station has its own bright color theme, and some even come with Chinese details, like a chessboard pattern on the floor, or, at Yonghegong, vaguely temple-like ornamentation. Just in case, you know, you don't actually want to go to Yonghegong.

Glass walls between the platform and tracks, provide a (safe) few minutes to gaze at your hair in the reflection.

Moving walkways will get passengers between lines at interchange stations—enabling, at last, a quick nap on your neighbor's shoulder, even while changing trains.

The trains will also eventually only use the city's yikatong cardsinstead of the old paper tickets.

For those who'd like to go and take a ride on the new line, here are a few stations worth exploring:

Beixinqiao 北新桥

Get off at the west end of Ghost street (Gui Jie)and enjoy some of the tasting offerings and small boutiques on this popular strip. This station is also the closest to the northern end of Nanluoguxiang and about a 10 minute walk from MAO Livehouse.

Zhangzizhonglu 张自忠路

A hop, skip and a jump to the New Yugong Yishan.

Dengshikou 灯市口

At the north end of Wangfujing it's a short walk past the many bridal stores to the temple of consumerism that is Oriental Plaza.

Tiantan Dongmen 天坛东门

If you're looking for something a little cheaper, get out at this stop and go bargain hunting at the Hongqiao Market. Afterwards relax in the serene surrounds of Tiantan Park

And what's next? By the Olympics, Beijing will also have a new 4 km-long Line 8 (Olympic Branch Line), serving the Olympic Park, the much-awaited 26 km-long Line 10, running from Wanliu in west Beijing to Songjiazhuang in southeastern Beijing, and the high-speed airport express train.

Links and Sources:
Beijing Subway Official Site
Xinhua: Beijing opens new subway line ahead of Olympics
CCTV: Beijing tests new No. 5 subway line for upcoming Olympics
Xinhua: Beijing to cut subway fares to boost public transport
Wired: Western-Made Trains Outlast Chinese-Built Subway Cars
Wikipedia: Beijing Subway
that's Beijing: City Scene: Riding the Rails
China Daily: Image