Subway users feel crowds and pinch after fare hike

Beijing subway system was crowded as usual on the first morning after the fare hike on Dec 29, 2014. [Photo/IC]

Three stations on Beijing's busiest subway lines, Sihui East station on Line 1, Tiantongyuan South on Line 5 and Shilipu station on Line 6, didn't show traffic flow fluctuations either, chinanews.cn reported.

"I live around East 4th Ring in Chaoyang district, and work about 20 kilometers away in the northern part of Beijing, in Changping district. It now costs me 5 yuan for each commute, about 200 yuan each month, compared to just 80 yuan in the past. But I have to take it. The subway is more punctual and faster than the bus," a commuter at Huixinxijienankou station surnamed Sun told chinadaily.com.cn.

On Sunday, about 40,000 passengers traveled on Line 4 between 7am to 8 am, an 8 percent decline compared to last week, presumably because of the rise in costs, Beijing Times reported.