Line 8, Beijing Subway

Line 8 八号线 Statistics Type Rapid transit System Beijing Subway Termini Huilongguan Dongdajie Beitucheng No. of stations 10 Operation Opened July 19, 2008 Operator(s) Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., Ltd Technical Line length 15.2 km  Route diagram [{{fullurl:{{{1}}}|action=edit}}    ] South Gate of Forest Park [{{fullurl:{{{1}}}|action=edit}}    ] Olympic Green [{{fullurl:{{{1}}}|action=edit}}    ] Olympic Sports Center Lines 8, 10 [{{fullurl:{{{1}}}|action=edit}}    ] [{{fullurl:{{{1}}}|action=edit}}    ] Beitucheng

Line 8 of the Beijing Subway (Chinese: 北京地铁8号线; pinyin: běijīng dìtiě bāhàoxiàn), formerly known as the Olympic Branch Line (奥运支线), is a rapid transit line in northern Beijing. The line currently has ten stations and runs 15.1 km from Beitucheng at the south edge of the Olympic Green in Chaoyang District to Huilongguan Dongdajie (Huilongguan Avenue East) in Changping District in the northern suburbs. The entire line runs underground. Line 8's color is green.

Line 8 opened on July 19, 2008 with just four stations, three in the Olympic, and was designated the Olympic Branch Line to serve the Olympic Village during the 2008 Summer Olympics. The line had only 4.53 km of track. On December 31, 2011, a section of Line 8 opened to the north, extending the line to its current form. Line 8 sits on the central north-south axis of the city of Beijing, which is aligned through the Drum Tower, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Yongdingmen. The line is being expanded along the central axis in both directions. By 2013, it will be extended further south to the National Art Museum in Dongcheng District, near the city centre.

Fare

Flat fare of RMB(¥) 2.00 with unlimited transfers.

Hours of Operation

The first south-bound trains departs from Huilongguan Dong Dajie at 5:33am. The first north-bound train departs from Beitucheng at 6:03am. The last south-bound train leaves Huilongguan Dong Dajie at 10:13pm. The last north-bound train leaves Beitucheng at 10:50pm. For the official timetable, see [1].

Route

Platform station sign at the Olympic Green stop on Line 8

In the north, Line 8 begins at Huilongguan Dongdajie (Huilongguan Avenue East), in Huilongguan, is a suburban residential neighborhood in southern Changping District and heads south through the Line 13 arc at Huoying to the Olympic Forest Park and makes three stops in the Olympic Green. Line 8 terminates in the south at Beitucheng where a transfer is available to Line 10.

Stations

Station Name English	Station Name Hanzi	Transfer	Location
Huilongguan Dongdajie	回龙观东大街		Changping
Huoying	霍营	Line 13
Yuxin	育新		Haidian
Xixiaokou	西小口
Yongtaizhuang	永泰庄
Lincuiqiao	林萃桥		Chaoyang
South Gate of Forest Park	森林公园南门
Olympic Green	奥林匹克公园
Olympic Sports Center	奥体中心
Beitucheng	北土城	Line 10

Line 8 Platform at Beitucheng Station	Platform of the Olympic Green Station	Forest decor inside the South Gate of Forest Park Station.
Entrance to Olympic Green Station.	Entrance E to Olympic Green Station.	Fare gates at Olympic Green Station.

History

Phase I

Line 8 has been planned and built in phases. In Phase I, Line 8 was built specifically for the 2008 Olympic Games, which were held in Beijing in August 2008. Construction began in 2004 and Line 8 entered into operation with Line 10 on July 19, 2008. In Phase I, Line 8 branched off of Line 10 at Beitucheng for three stops in the Olympic Green. The line was only 4.35 km in length and was known as the Olympic Branch Line. Access was originally restricted to riders with an Olympic Register Card or a ticket to an event at the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games on the day of the event. After early October 2008, the line was fully opened to the public.

Phase II North

In Phase II, the Olympic Branch Line is being extended to the north and south along Beijing's central axis. The northern extension, 10.7 km in length with six stations, runs through the Olympic Forest Park to Huilongguan in Changping District beyond the Line 13 arc. Land clearing for Phase II began in December 2007. Tunnel boring machines began work on October 16, 2009 In the fall of 2011, the entire Line 8 shut down in preparation for this Phase II extension and the whole line reopened on December 31, 2011. Plans of the northern section of Line 8 Phase II originally showed the following stations:

• Zhuxinzhuang 朱辛庄 (Changping Line)
• Pingxifu 平西府
• Huoying 霍营 (Line 13)
• Xisanqi 西三旗
• Xisanqi South 西三旗南
• Yongtai 永泰
• Lincui Lu 林萃路

The extension further north to the Changping Line has not yet been built, as of January 2, 2012. The Lincui Lu station, just west of the Olympic Forest Park, was originally planned as an emergency stop, but was added at the behest of nearby residents and their municipal people's congress representative, Tian Yuan, who argued that the 5.1 km gap between the Forest Park and Yongtai stations made subway access inconvenient for residents along Lincui Road. The station was officially added to Phase II plans in December 2008.

Future expansion

Phase II South

To the south, Line 8 will enter the city centre via Gulou Dajie, the Drum Tower, and Houhai, and terminate at the National Art Museum. The southern section, 6.8 km in length and also with six stations, is slated for completion in 2013. Planned stations of the southern section of Line 8 Phase II::

• Anhua Bridge 安华桥
• Andeli Beilu 安德里北路
• Gulou Dajie 鼓楼大街 (Line 2)
• Shichahai 什刹海
• Nanluoguxiang 南锣鼓巷 (Line 6)
• National Art Museum 中国美术馆

In 2008, Phase II was estimated to cost ¥10.1 billion and be completed in 2012.

Phase III

A map showing some of the planned lines for the Beijing Subway, including Phase II of Line 8.

In Phase III, Line 8 will be extended further south from the National Gallery of Art through Qianmen and Yongdingmen to beyond the southern 4th Ring Road. Planning began in 2009. As of June 2011, plans of Line 8 in Phase III showed 14 stations over 17.3 km. Phase III is scheduled to be built by 2015.

External links

• Official Beijing Subway Website
• Line 8 Phase II Information Page at the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Ltd.