Beijing Trains: Restricting, Building, and Hanging

Beijing, in an attempt to tackle its commuting woes, is going all out when it comes to trains. Passenger restrictions are being implemented, subway lines are being built, monorails are up for consideration, and maglevs are causing debate.

Back in November of last year there were conflicting reports about limiting passengers on the Beijing subway. Now that plan seems to be taking off at a time when the subway is well over capacity.

Reported in the Global Times, last week the Beijing Subway Company laid out plans that include “put[ting] up fences and other barriers to slow passengers' entry into some stations… create channels through which passengers could be diverted during peak flow times,” and most worrying for commuters, “subways will also skip certain stations during rush hour to prevent overcrowding in the train cars.”

Over the next few years Beijing’s subway system will nearly double as the city currently builds extensions and new lines set to open by 2015. The precise dates have finally been published (Chinese only) with the anticipated Line 6 (to run parallel to Line 1 passing by Sanlitun and Nanlougu Xiang) opening November 28, 2014.

If subways weren’t enough, Beijing is exploring the possibility of bringing a monorail system to the capital, modeled after Germany’s H-Bahn. Lin Youling, president of the China Business Unit of Air Train International, has suggested that there will be “20 to 30 sky trains in China within five years,” though any actual plans by the city haven’t been released.

And the start of construction on a Maglev train between Beijing and Mentougou has raised concerns for residents living near the tracks over potential radiation.

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see so many people come to beijing and fight for their fair opportunities, though this is brining us a city, booming and collasping in some way you call it.

but the real and practical means to settle the challenge is divert more resources to spreading regions across China. once money making opportunities and joyable life style can avail themselves to the locals living in others Chinese cities, the immigrant or so called white collars will like to lead their fulfilling life there. why not? family members and local friends around, more leisure time and choices, and what else you would like to add here.