Beijing has 200 kilometers of subways in service, most of which are in the northern part of the city.
It is determined to vigorously expand track transport in the years to come and is hoping to form a subway network supported by 19 separate lines totaling 561 kilometers by 2015.
The city's spending on infrastructure projects alone will top 160 billion yuan (US$23.5 billion) this year, and Line 15 is included on the spending list, said Liu Yinchun, deputy chief of the municipal committee of development and reform.
By 2015, a total of 8.8 million daily trips, or a quarter of the total journeys made by residents in downtown areas, will be undertaken by metro, compared to the current 3.8 million daily trips.
The national capital will spend 51.8 billion yuan in track transport development this year.
Line 4, a north-to-south subway under construction, is expected to be completed and put into service this year. This will increase the length of Beijing's subways in service to 230 kilometers.
-- (Xinhua, Feb 05, 2009)
