Beijing Subway

Fares

A flat fare of RMB(¥) 2.00 with unlimited transfers applies to all lines except the Airport Line, which costs ¥25.00.Children less than 1.2m in height ride for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

All lines now collect fares through an automatic fare collection system (AFC) which accepts single-ride tickets or Yikatong, an integrated circuit card (ICC card) that commuters use to purchase and store credit for multiple rides. Riders can purchase tickets and add credit to Yikatong at ticket counters and vending machines in every station. Yikatong is also accepted on many city buses.

The use of tickets hand checked by clerks was phased out on June 9, 2008.Before the flat fare was introduced on October 7, 2007, fares ranged from ¥3 to ¥5, depending on the line and the number of transfers.

Hours of Operation

Lines

• Line 1 runs in a straight line from the Western Hills through Tiananmen Square in the city centre to the eastern suburbs at Sihui. It follows Chang'an Avenue and connects major commercial centres, Xidan, Wangfujing, Dongdan and the Beijing CBD.
• Line 2, a rectangular loop line, traces the Ming-era city wall that once surrounded the inner city. Line 2 stops at each of the wall's 12 gates (ending in men), now busy intersections, as well as the Beijing Railway Station.
• Line 5 runs in a straight north-south line just east of the city centre. It passes the Temple of the Earth, Lama Temple and the Temple of Heaven.
• Line 10 forms an inverted "L"-shaped half-shell to the north and east of Line 2. In the north, it follows the Yuan-era city wall, passing south of the Olympic village. At the Sanyuanqiao stop northeast of the city, Line 10 turns straight south and follows the eastern 3rd Ring Road through the embassy district and Beijing CBD.
• Olympic Branch Line extends straight north off of Line 10 with 3 stops in the Olympic Village.
• Line 13 arcs across suburbs north of the city and channels commuters to Xizhimen and Dongzhimen, at the northwest and northeast corners of Line 2.
• Line Batong runs from Line 1's eastern terminus at Sihui East to even more distant suburbs in Tongzhou District.
• The Airport Line connects the Beijing Capital International Airport, 27 km northeast of the city, with Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao and Lines 2 and 13 at Dongzhimen.

Lines currently under construction will significantly expand the subway's coverage, especially south and west of the city. Running parallel to Line 5 but further west will be Line 4 and Line 9. Flanking either side of Line 1 will be Line 6 and Line 7. Line 10, when fully completed, will form a complete loop around Line 2. Line 8 will extend the Olympic Branch Line north to Line 13 and south to Line 2. Line 14 will run from the southwest to the northeast. The Daxing, Yizhuang and Fangshan will connect outlying districts to the Beijing Subway.