北京軌道交通路網中一條重要的南北干線——地鐵5號線7日正式開通試運營。至此，北京軌道交通運營總里程達到142公里，運營車站達到93座。北京正闊步邁向一個“地鐵時代”。

A woman and her son take a photo before boarding the new subway line - Line 5 in Beijing on October 7, 2007.[Xinhua]

Beijing's hard-pressed commuters should count themselves blessed, for they are about to receive that rarest of boons: more transport for less money.

Even as Beijing opens its new 27.6km No. 5 mass transit line on Sunday, the price of tickets for the expanded underground network is being slashed to a flat fare of RMB2, less than half the previous maximum fare.

The opening of the RMB12b (US$1.6b) line and the ticket price-cut highlight Beijing's re-embrace of public transport as the way to ensure the fast-expanding city can function effectively.

"The launch of the No. 5 subway line indicates that Beijing's rail transport is on a track of fast development," says Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal.

"It is of great significance for the city to ease traffic pressure, provide easier transport for the public, speed up construction of Olympic infrastructure, and ensure a high-level Olympic Games," he said.

Equipped with a wireless communication network, live broadcasts will be provided on televisions installed in the subway car and passengers will never lose the signal on their mobile phones.

The subway cars are wider and taller than the ones operating on the older lines and are designed to reach speeds of 80 km per hour. Elevators designed to aid disabled people have been installed.

Over the next decade or so, 15 cities are expected to spend RMB620b to build 1,700km of underground lines and urban light railways. More than 20 other cities are also seeking permission to build lines.

Beijing is leading the way, with plans to have 561km of subway line in operation by 2015 – well above the London Underground’s 408km.

While Beijing favors Chinese suppliers, the subway surge is a big opportunity for global transit systems producers such as Germany's Siemens, France’s Alstom and Bombardier, the Canadian company responsible for a light rail link to the capital's airport that will open next year.

(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

flat fare：單一票制

（英語點津 Celene 編輯）