The Western Suburban Line of the Beijing Subway

Beijing Subway

The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...

, also called the Western Suburban Branch Line (西郊支线) is a rapid transit

Rapid transit

A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 line planned to be built in Haidian District of Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

. It will run west and north from Bagou on Line 10

Line 10, Beijing Subway

Line 10 of the Beijing Subway is the second loop line in Beijing's rapid transit network.Half of the Line 10 loop, north and east of the city centre, has been in operation since July 19, 2008. The other half of the loop, in the south and west, is now under construction. In the north, south and...

 to the Fragrant Hills

Fragrant Hills

Fragrant Hills Park is a public park at the foot of the Western Mountains in the Haidian District, in the northwestern part of Beijing, China. It covers 1.6 km² and consists of a natural pine-cypress forest, hills with maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, as well as landscaped areas with...

. The total line length is estimated to be 9.3 km with a total construction cost of RMB(¥)

Renminbi

The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...

 1 billion. The line will have five stations: Bagou, Minzhuang, Wan'anli, Botanical Gardens

Beijing Botanical Garden

The Beijing Botanical Garden is a botanical garden situated in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing, China between Xiangshan Park and Jade Spring Mountain in the Western Hills.-History:...

, and Fragrant Hills

Fragrant Hills

Fragrant Hills Park is a public park at the foot of the Western Mountains in the Haidian District, in the northwestern part of Beijing, China. It covers 1.6 km² and consists of a natural pine-cypress forest, hills with maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, as well as landscaped areas with...

. Construction is set to begin in 2010 and the line is expected to be completed in 2014.

History

• On November 24, 2008, Beijing building contract websites began to list bids for construction of a 9.3 km Western Suburban Line with total estimated cost of ¥1 billion. The commencement of construction was listed as April 1, 2009 and the projection completion date was set as November 1, 2010.
• On December 11, 2008 at the 15th Capital Urban Planning and Construction Design Conference, the Beijing City Planning Committee unveiled plans for the Fangshan, Changping, Western Suburban and Shunyi subway lines, and announced that it would strive to build two of those four lines by 2010.
• On January 6, 2009, the Haidian District government announced that construction of the Western Suburban Line would begin in 2009, though the details concerning of the line route, whether the line would be below grade or above the surface and the number of stations were still being planned.
• January 15, 2009: The Beijing city planning committee unveiled the five stations along route.
• August 10, 2009: Planning authorities announced a change in plan for the Western Suburban Line from a train line to a tourist trolley line with operation speed of 20 km/h.
• Jan. 7, 2010: Commencement of construction set to begin in 2010.