Subway Line 8
From Beijingology
- Line 8 (Stage 1) is also known as the Olympic Branch Line
| Subway Line 8 Ditie Ba Hao Xian 地铁八号线 地鐵八號綫 Olympic Branch Line (奥运支线) (Phase 1 only) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Number of Stations | 4 (Phase 1) |
| Color | Standard Green |
| Length | 4.53 km |
| Interchange Stations (total: 5 (Phases 1 and 2); 1 currently in use) | Huoying (Line 13) Beitucheng (Line 10) Guloudajie (Line 2) Meishuguandongjie (Line 6) |
| Termini | Phase 1: South Gate of Forest Park (northern terminus) Beitucheng (southern terminus) Phase 2: Huoying North Subway Station (northern terminus) Meishuguandongjie Subway Station (southern terminus) Phase 3: Meishuguandongjie - Wufutang |
| Depots | Wanliu Depot (presently borrows trains from Line 10) |
| First Service | () |
| Last Service | () |
| Coverage | North-south Beijing along north-south central axis |
| Rolling Stock | Prefixed W (Wanliu Depot) |
| Journeys | |
| Year Opened / Last Extension | July 19, 2008 (Stage 2) 2012 (Stage 2) |
| Notes | |
| [[]] | |
Line 8 of the Beijing Subway, known otherwise as the Olympic Branch Line (Phase 1 only), is the shortest Subway line. It is a four-stop line through the Olympic Green. Two extensions are scheduled to be opened in 2010 and 2012.
Contents |
History
The first real appearance of Subway Line 8 came in the form of a December 1981 plan of eight Subway routes, of which Line 8 was the last one in the series. In the original plans, Line 8 would start from Hongxing Gongshe, south of the southern 5th Ring Road, and run via Dahongmen, Yongdingmen, Di'anmen, Gulou all the way to Datun. Its terminus, oddly enough, would be just one stop south of the Phase 1 (present-day) terminus -- Olympic Green (the Phase 1 terminus is one stop further north, at South Gate of Forest Park Subway Station). Line 8 would have wide gaps between stops in southern and northern Beijing -- stops were planned at Hongxing Gongshe, Dahongmen, Muxuyuan, Yongdingmen (interchange with the then-Line 4), Zhushikou (interchange with Line 7), Qianmen (interchange with Line 2), Donghuamen, Shatan (interchange with Line 6), Di'anmen (interchange with the then-Line 3), Gulou (interchange with Line 2), Anhua Bridge, Beichen, and, finally, Datun.
The 1999 plans foresaw a 23-stop Line 8 that ran along pretty much the same route as the late 1981 plans, except for the fact that 10 more stops were added. Existing interchanges with Lines 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 were kept, but there would be a new interchange at what is now Beitucheng with Line 10 (both the interchange and the two lines have, in fact, been built according to the original plans!). The 27-kilometer long Line 8 would also end up in what is now the Olympic Green, but the northernmost terminus this would would be closer to the Forest Park than what is now Olympic Green.
Line 8 briefly "went away" after plans emerged that Line 10 would take over the Olympic route, but re-emerged after a few years "out". The present-day Line 8, though, seems to have been redone a little -- Phases 1 and 2 would see Line 8 extend further beyond Line 13, heading as far north as Huoying North, but the southern terminus would be near Meishuguan East Street, not far away from Shatan. Two more phases are planned -- Phase 3 would likely bring Line 8 down to the original southernmost terminus near Nanyuan (or what used to be Hongxing Gongshe), and a final northern extension would bring Line 8 just east of urban Changping.
All Line 8 plans dodged the Forbidden City to the east -- the "curve-dodge" was present as early as 1981.
Recent Developments
- December 29, 2008: Subway Line 8's station at Lincuilu is confirmed following demand by local residents represented by NPC member Tian Yuan.
Route
Stations
Line 8 stations are:
- Huilongguan Dongdajie Subway Station
- Huoying Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 13)
- Xisanqi Subway Station
- Qinghe Xiaoying Subway Station
- Yongtaizhuang Subway Station
- Lincuilu Subway Station
- South Gate of Forest Park (2008)
- Olympic Green (2008)
- Olympic Sports Center (2008)
- Beitucheng (2008, interchange with Subway Line 10)
- Anhuaqiao Subway Station
- Huangsi Subway Station
- Guloudajie Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 2)
- Houhai Subway Station
- Nanluoguxiang Subway Station (interchange with Subway Line 6)
Stations opening by June 2008 are marked (2008).
Stage 1
Stage 1 of Beijing Subway Line 8 is expected to open in time for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Four stations (in total 5.91 km) -- namely those from South Gate of Forest Park through to Beitucheng -- are expected to open at 14:00 on July 19, 2008.
| Name | Location | Exits | Platforms | Platform Level Livery | Times Served | Disabled Access | Interchanges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitucheng (北土城) | Beitucheng Crossing, Chaoyang | 6 (A-D, C and D split) | Central island | Porcelain | 00:00 - 00:00 | Elevators | Line 10 |
| Olympic Sports Center (奥体中心) | Beichen Bridge, Chaoyang | - | Central island | Pale aqua waves | 00:00 - 00:00 | Elevators | |
| Olympic Green (奥林匹克公园) | Olympic Green, Chaoyang | - | Central island | Aqua bubbles | 00:00 - 00:00 | Elevators | |
| South Gate of Forest Park (森林公园南门) | Olympic Forest Park South Gate, Chaoyang | - | Central island | Trees | 00:00 - 00:00 | Elevators |
Phase 2
Phase 2 of Beijing Subway Line 8 is expected to open in January 2012. Construction work got underway on December 8, 2007, with trial operations expected in June 2011. The northern part of Line 8 north of Forest Park station has already gotten off to a head start.
This stage of Line 8 will extend further north from Forest Park to Huoying North, while the southernmost terminus will be moved from Beitucheng further south to Meishuguandongjie.
Line 8 will make a slight detour to the west of the Drum Tower due to environmental considerations. Furthermore, the subway station is likely to be 100 meters away from the Drum Tower.
Construction of Subway Line 8 is expected to be done fully underground, thereby reducing any possibilities that traffic above ground would be disrupted due to subway construction.
Northern Extension
A northern extension to Line 8 is being floated and first made an appearance in the May 16, 2008 edition of the Beijing Evening News. No specific stations were mentioned except for that two new stations were being built at the planned northern terminus, and that Line 8 will reach the eastern part of urban Changping.
In late 2008, Line 8's northern extension was suddenly "bent" westwards. The northern extension now seems to be little more than a three-station connection to the Chanping Line; that line, not Line 8, will reach urban Changping instead.
Southern Extension
Line 8 is expected to end at its projected southernmost terminus at Meishuguandongjie Subway Station until at least 2015. The reasons for its abrupt end can be traced to the existance of Bus Rapid Transit Route 1 and Subway Line 4, which head for points further south.
A final extension south will bring Line 8 to Nanyuan, near Nanyuan Airport.
Interchanges
Beitucheng
- Interchange with Line 10
Beitucheng Subway Station is presently the only Line 8 interchange station, as well as the only link between Line 8 and the rest of the Beijing Subway network.
Beitucheng is a T-shaped interchange. Line 8 platforms are slightly north of the Line 10 platforms; both parts of the station use central island platforms. Access to the Line 8 platforms are done both at the Underground Level 2 Line 10 platforms, as well as two access paths at the Underground Level 1 concourse. Distances covered are much less than at other "T form" stations, including Fuxingmen and Jianguomen on Lines 1 and 2.
Trains
At the present moment, Line 8 trains are essentially those on Line 10, "borrowed" over from Line 10. As Line 10 is just merely 4 to 5 km in length, not a great many trains are needed to finish the entire line.
Trains on Line 8 have indicator lights set to show the journey from Beitucheng "up" to the South Gate of Forest Park stations.
Line 8 trains, as is the case with Line 10 trains, all belong to the Wanliu Depot and are thus prefixed "W".
Service Frequency
During the Beijing Olympics, services were as brief as 3 minutes between trains. After the 2008 Games, gaps eventually went up to 5 to 10 minutes between trains.
Fares
During the Beijing Games, riders on Line 8 enjoyed free rides. They were handed Subway tickets for free for use in any AFC faregate (except those on the Airport Express).
After the Games, Line 8 became a pay line and is now integrated into the current CNY 2 fare network.
Security
Security checks are required in all Line 8 stations. During the Beijing Olympics, much sharper security checks (which were done in makeshift tents outside the stations) were in place, where passengers had to go through metal detectors.
Sources and References
Beijingology Network
- EN: Subway Line 8: New Station To Be Added at Lincui Road (Beijing A to B, December 29, 2008)
Outside Beijingology Network
- CN: 地铁8号线二期避让鼓楼 全线设11车站 (图) (新京报), July 2, 2007
| Beijing Subway Line 8 (Phase 1 Now Open; Phase 2: Opens 2012) (Phase 1: South Gate of Forest Park - Beitucheng; Phase 2: Huoying North - Meishuguandongjie) 4 stations (Phase 1) • 4.53 km • 7 minutes between trains | 
| |||
| ||||
| Beijing Subway System (Current as of July 19, 2008) | 
| |||
| ||||
