A Breath of Fresh Air

Hate to say we told you so, but gloat we must: Travelchinaguide.com reports that the Beijing Metro Company has announced that by March 2008, all subway lines in Beijing will be equipped with AFC – a.k.a. the “Automatic Frequency Control System,” a system of automated turnstiles whose impending installation is evidenced by the rows of crates that have begun appearing in subway stops around town. As with Hong Kong’s excellent subway system, the plan is to integrate the AFC to allow passengers to pay according to the distance of their commutes by the end of next year.

This announcement comes on the heels of last month’s Line 5 opening and the subsequent drop in ticket prices from RMB 3 to 2, a decision that prompted us to report on the apparent increase in passenger volume on lines 1 and 2 that has made rush hour commutes, particularly on Fridays, practically unbearable in recent weeks.

The integration of distance-based fares means that there will hopefully be a leveling off of subway traffic, as higher prices for some routes will compel a portion of thriftier subway commuters to use other forms of public transportation (i.e. the bus) – a prospect which is all the more likely with the recent abolition of the RMB 60 monthly subway access card.

In the meantime there’s more good news for commuters on Lines 1 and 2: 72 new trains will be phased in by the end of this year, 12 on line 1, which runs east to west from Sihui Dong to Pinguoyuan, and 60 on line 2, which loops around central Beijing. Our ride home last night revealed that some of these trains, equipped with air conditioning and video screens, were already in operation, and with the impeding cold weather and heavy coats that come with it, these new trains will have commuters breathing easier for now.

Links and Sources:
tbjblog: All Aboard
tbjblog: Swept Under the Rug
Qianlong.com Image
bjsubway.com subway map
Travelchinaguide.com: Beijing Metro Ticket to be Charged by Distance from 2008