This week we’re previewing the new lines expected to open in Shanghai and  Beijing in December 2012. Today, Beijing Line 6!

The only completely new line opening in Beijing this year is Line 6. It’s significant because it runs parallel to Beijing’s oldest subway line, the ageing and overcrowded Line 1. Line 6 will have key interchanges with all the lines in central Beijing, including two interchanges with Line 10, two with Line 2, one with Line 4 at Ping’anli and one with Line 5 at Dongsi, and one with Line 9 at Baishiqiao South. There’s also easy access to the famous Nanluoguxiang Hutong.

All stations are due to open in late 2012, so Line 6 should look something like this (click to enlarge!):

This week we’re previewing the new lines expected to open in Shanghai and  Beijing in December 2012. Today, Beijing Line 9!

Poor Beijing Subway Line 9 is a bit of an oddity. Although it opened last year, it only currently connects with the suburban Fangshan Line, passengers arriving at its current northern terminus at Beijing West Railway Station need to walk or take a bus to Line 1.

That’s all about to change with not one, but four new interchange stations. The existing station at Liuliqiao will link to the new Line 10 extension, while there are new interchange stations with Line 1 at Military Museum, Line 6 at Baishiqiao South and Line 4 at National Library.

Line 9 should look like this by the end of the year (click to enlarge!):

This week we’re previewing the new lines expected to open in Shanghai and  Beijing in December 2012. Today, Beijing Line 8!

Beijing Subway Line 8 initially opened with a small stretch between Beitucheng and South Gate of Forest Park in time for the 2008 Olympics, and ferried spectators to the Olympic Stadium. Last year a northern extension connected it to Line 13 at Huoying, and this year we expect a southern extension which should connect Line 8 to Line 2 at Guoloudajie, making Line 8 much more accessible from central Beijing. There are two intervening stations between Beitucheng and Guoloudajie: Anhuaqiao should open in December, while Andelibeijie will open at a later date.

Line 8 should look like this by the end of the year (click to enlarge!):

This week we’re previewing the new lines expected to open in Shanghai and  Beijing in December 2012. Today, Beijing Line 10!

Beijing Subway Line 10 is an impressive engineering feat. By late 2013 it will form an outer ring around Beijing, with 45 stations including 24 interchange stations! The total track length of 57km will make it the longest circular metro line in the world by our calculations, beating out the circular part of Seoul’s Metro Line 2.

Roughly half the line (the north and east parts of the loop) has been running since 2008, and in December 2012 it’s expected that most of the rest of the loop will open, save for a break in the circle in the south west corner, where Niwa and Fengtai Railway Station will open later in 2013. Jiaomen East station is also expected to be delayed. That means Line 10 will look something like this by the end of the year (click to enlarge):