Subway Line 4
From Beijingology
 | This line is not yet open.
Subway Line 4 has not yet been opened to the public. Subway Line 4 opens September 30, 2009. |
| Subway Line 4 Ditie Si Hao Xian 地铁四号线 地鐵四號綫 "Hong Kong Line" (港线) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Number of Stations | 24 (28 with northern extension) |
| Color | Teal |
| Length | 28.16 km |
| Interchange Stations (total: -; - currently in use) | |
| Termini | Yongfeng (projected northern terminus) Anheqiao North (northern terminus) Gongyixiqiao (southern terminus) |
| Depots | Near Gongyixiqiao station |
| First Service | () |
| Last Service | () |
| Coverage | Western Beijing |
| Rolling Stock | |
| Journeys | |
| Year Opened / Last Extension | on September 28, 2009 |
| Notes | |
| [[]] | |
Line 4 of the Beijing Subway is currently under construction. It is expected to open on September 28, 2009.
Subway Line 4 is likely to start initially near Zhongguancun, with a possible future northern extension to Yongfeng, near the Beijing Space City. It will mainly serve the western half of urban Beijing. In particular, this line of the Beijing Subway will serve Beijing South Railway Station.
The southernmost terminus of Subway Line 4 will be on Majiapu West Road.
Maintenance facilities are to be built at Majiapu; rolling stock parking lots are expected to be also available at Anheqiao North Subway Station.
Contents |
History
Beijing's Subway Line 4 was in the plans relatively early (around the same time as Line 5). In 1999 plans, Line 4 would start from the present-day Taoranting station (still under construction) and head directly north, passing Subway Line 2 at Jishuitan, then link with Line 10 at what is now Xitucheng. It would finally pass Line 13 at Huilongguan Subway Station before coming to its only major curve and end up north of what is now Longze.
The relatively straight line got knicked into a great number of bends in the early 2000s, as Line 4 snaked its way in new plans from Longbeicun (since renamed Anheqiao), just north of the northwestern 5th Ring Road at Hongshan Bridge, down to the Zhongguancun area and underneath Zhongguancun Street. The present-day Line 4 would make two curves at Baishiqiao and again at Xinjiekou before heading south along its original trek (now in its southern half). It would link up with Subway Lines 2 and 13 at the three-line interchange at Xizhimen. South of the original Line 4 terminus at Taoranting, the line would continue straight down to Majialou (readjusted to Gongyixiqiao) and end there.
A final kink took shape in the form of Line 4 making a bend into Beijing South Railway Station; this was finalized by 2004. The original Xizhuang Subway Station became abandoned before works even started.
An extension further northwest is under contemplation, which would link Line 4 up to the Beijing Space City, extending its northwest terminus to Yongfeng. This extension will be built beginning late 2009.
On February 10, 2009, all tunnels were complete on Line 4 running as far north as Anheqiao North station.
Route
Line 4 easily qualifies as the most zigzagged line in the whole of the Beijing Subway system, earning it rights to the nickname Zigzag Line.
If seen from a whole line (including the northern extension and the future to-be-merged Daxing Line), the northern half of Line 4 is remarkably curve-rich. The line starts from the as-yet unbuilt Yongfeng station and heads southeast down to the present-day northern terminus at Anheqiao North. This part sees Line 4 next to a hill in northwestern Beijing.
Line 4 next heads east after a curve to the Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan, passing also close to the Chinese Communist Party Central School. Its first planned interchange is at Xiyuan with the future Subway Line 15. It then heads east until the line nears Tsinghua and Peking universities, whereupon it heads south on a curve and calls at the East Gate of Peking University Subway Station. It then proceeds straight south on Zhongguancun North Street and Zhongguancun Street, past Line 10 at Haidian Huangzhuang, until it connects with Line 9 at the National Library station. This is expected to be Beijing's first cross-platform interchange with Line 9.
While Line 9 heads further south for the Beijing West Railway Station and its southern terminus, Guogongzhuang, Line 4 heads east and passes by the Beijing Zoo station, with the zoo itself close by, bringing it also close with the Beijing Observatory. It then meets Lines 2 and 13 at Xizhimen, which is Beijing's first three-line interchange without involving separated fare areas.
After a quick stop at Xinjiekou on Xizhimen Inner Street, Line 4 next heads south, passing through Ping'anli, Xisi and Lingjing Hutong before crossing Line 1 at the busy Xidan station. Its second and last link to Subway Line 2 is at Xuanwumen Subway Station.
Further south, Line 4 continues along Xuanwumen Outer Street and calls at Caishikou station, which will see a link with Line 7, before it continues on a "kink" that takes it along an angle to the Beijing South Railway Station, where direct links are offered with Line 14 and national railway and HSR services in the railway station itself. It finally heads straight south at Majiapu station and continues south, with a link to Line 10 at Jiaomen West station, before it comes to its present-day southernmost terminus at Gongyixiqiao station, just north of Gongyi West Bridge on the southern 4th Ring Road.
When Lines 4 and Daxing merge as one, the line will continue in a generally southern orientation through central Daxing District before it ends up at the Daxing Line's southernmost terminus at Tiangongyuan. Even beyond this, however, are plans to link this line to Gu'an in Hebei Province.
Stations
This subway line will have several interchange stations:
- Haidian Huangzhuang Subway Station with Subway Line 10
- National Library of China Subway Station with Subway Line 9
- Xizhimen Subway Station with Subway Lines 2 and 13
- Ping'anli Subway Station with Subway Line 6
- Xisi Subway Station with the planned Subway Line 3
- Xidan Subway Station with Subway Line 1
- Xuanwumen Subway Station with Subway Line 2
- Caishikou Subway Station with Subway Line 7
- Beijing South Railway Station with Subway Line 14
- Jiaomen West Subway Station with Subway Line 10
- Gongyixiqiao Subway Station with Subway Daxing Line
Original Line
The part of Line 4 opening in 2009 will comprise of the following stations:
| Name | Location | Exits | Station Halls | Platforms | Platform Level Livery | Times Served | Disabled Access | Interchanges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anheqiao North (安河桥北) | Anheqiao, Haidian | - | - hall | Side platforms | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | |
| Zhongguancun (中关村) | South of Zhongguancun Bridge 1, Haidian | 4 (A-D) | - hall | Central island | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | |
| Haidian Huangzhuang (海淀黄庄) | Huangzhuang, Haidian | 6 (A1, A2, B, C1, C2, D) | Side halls | Side platforms | White and orange | 00:00 - 00:00 | Elevators | Line 10 |
| Xizhimen (西直门) | Xizhimen Bridge, Xicheng | 5 (A1, A2, B, C, D) | Side halls | Central island | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | Lines 2 and 13 |
| Ping'anli (平安里) | Ping'anli Crossing, Xicheng | 4 (A-D) | - hall | Central island | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | Line 6 (2013) |
| Xidan (西单) | Xidan Crossing, Xicheng | 4 (A-D) | - hall | Central island | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | Line 1 |
| Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站) | Beijing South Railway Station, Chongwen | Integrated into Beijing South Railway Station | - hall | Central island | - | 00:00 - 00:00 | - | Line 14 (2012) |
Line 4 stations (going from north to south) are:
- Anheqiao North Subway Station (northernmost terminus)
- Beigongmen Subway Station
- Xiyuan Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 15)
- Yuanmingyuan Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 15)
- East Gate of Peking University Subway Station
- Haidian Huangzhuang Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 10)
- Renmin University Subway Station
- Weigongcun Subway Station
- National Library Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 9)
- Beijing Zoo Subway Station
- Xizhimen Subway Station (interchange with Subway Lines 2 and 13)
- Xinjiekou Subway Station
- Ping'anli Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 6)
- Xisi Subway Station (planned interchange with Subway Line 3)
- Lingjing Hutong Subway Station
- Xidan Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 1)
- Xuanwumen Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 2)
- Caishikou Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 7)
- Taoranting Subway Station
- Beijing South Railway Station (interchange with Subway Line 14)
- Majiapu Subway Station
- Jiaomen West Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 10)
- Gongyixiqiao Subway Station (southernmost terminus, interchange with Subway Daxing Line)
Northern Extension
These station names are heading north to south.
- Yongfeng Subway Station
- Hangtiancheng West Subway Station
- Xibeiwang Subway Station
- Baiwangshan Subway Station
Interchanges
Haidian Huangzhuang
- Interchange with Line 10
The interchange passageways at Haidian Huangzhuang station will only be around 40 meters in length. The Line 4 platforms are on Underground Level 2, on an island platform. The Line 10 platforms, located on Underground Level 1, are side platforms.
Haidian Huangzhuang is the only near "zero-distance" interchange which was built without resorting to digging up surface roads to the extent that major above-ground inconveniences resulted.
Xizhimen
The Xizhimen interchange with Lines 2 and 13 will see Line 4 underneath Line 2. Interchanges between these two lines will be relatively easy. Interchanges with Line 13 will take some more time, as a transfer passage is needed to link the Lines 2 & 4 part of the station with the Line 13 part.
Xidan
- Interchange with Line 1
The Line 1 - Line 4 interchange at Xidan will see an arrangement similar to that of the Line 1 - Line 5 interchange at Dongdan. Relatively shorter interchange passageways with at-grade escalators will be used between the two passageways. Unlike Dongdan, but like Chongwenmen, the two passageways will be unidirectional beginning with the moment Line 4 enters service.
Xuanwumen
- Interchange with Line 2
The Xuanwumen interchange is amongst one of the shortest retrofitted interchanges. Building this interchange alone required a massive effort. Passengers will need a maximum of two minutes to switch between the two lines.
Line 2 platforms at Xuanwumen are island platforms used in all Line 2 stops; those in the Line 4 part will be side platforms.
Planned Interchanges
- Xiyuan and Yuanmingyuan (with Line 15): Presently, all that is known is that Lines 4 and 15 will call at Xiyuan and Yuanmingyuan stations, making both of them interchanges. Specific ways the transfer will be done are still unclear at present.
- National Library (with Line 9): The Line 4 - Line 9 interchange will see Beijing's first-ever cross-platform interchange.
- Ping'anli (with Line 6): Lines 4 and 6 will cross at Ping'anli, but both lines will have to resort to using a rather inconvenient L-shaped intechange, as Ping'anli is expected to be an amalgamation of three Subway line stops according to development plans.
- Caishikou (with Line 7): Lines 4 and 7 will both call at the Caishikou interchange. No details have yet emerged on how the interchange will actually be built.
- Beijing South Railway Station (with Line 14, the Jingjin Intercity Railway and the Jinghu Express Railway): Much like the interchange at Xizhimen, the interchange at Beijing South will see Line 4 and Line 14 in an X-shaped configuration. Line 4 platforms will be on Underground Level 2; those belonging to Line 14 will be a floor lower. The railway station itself will be accessible at Underground Level 1; passengers can change between all trains without the need to exit the station at all.
- Jiaomen West (with Line 10): Jiaomen West will be an interchange between Lines 4 and 10. No details have yet emerged on how the interchange will actually be built.
- Gongyixiqiao (with Subway Daxing Line): Gongyixiqiao will probably be only an "interim interchange" before Line 4 gets merged with the Daxing Line and through services run through the whole Subway line.
Trains
Line 4 uses trains which use different car numbering systems than that found in other Beijing Subway trains. All-number cars were used (like in Tianjin and Shanghai) instead of having a letter at the front (which was used for other lines). Line 4 trains use both a maintenance facility at the Majialou Depot and a parking lot near Anheqiao North.
Different than other trains, Line 4 trains use clip-on doors instead of sandwiched doors, which may make them less prone to being squeezed upon by a car full of passengers. The Mind the Gap warning is placed above the car windows instead of on a vertical sticker like in other Subway trains.
The odd mix of train facilities, both old and new, has earned them an odd nickname -- The Illegitimate Stick (杵的私生子), with the "Stick" part a hint to the 2007 Line 1 trains, which featured half-height stick handles.
For a Beijing Subway first, Line 4 trains come with a No eating and drinking sticker, although Subway officials have stated that "only warnings" shall apply to those who go against this rule.
Service Frequency
Fares
When Line 4 faregates were being ordered, they came ready for distance fare charge use, which raised the issue of whether or not Line 4 would be merged into the CNY 2 fare zone. About a year before its official opening, such worries ceased to exist as it was made clear that Line 4, although being another pay fare, will be fully integrated with the existing CNY 2 fare zone, thus incurring no encumbrances upon passengers.
Security
Sources and References
External Links
- CN: 地铁4号线全线贯通 9月28日通车试运行(图) (千龙网, February 11, 2009, accessed on same day)
| Beijing Subway Line 4 (Opens September 30, 2009) (Yongfeng - Anheqiao North - Gongyixiqiao) 24 stations (2009), 28 stations (entire line) • - km • Under construction; opens September 28, 2009 | 
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| Beijing Subway System (Current as of July 19, 2008) | 
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