The construction of the direct subway line linking the Beijing Railway Station and the Beijing West Railway Station started on Saturday in Beijing, reports the overseas edition of People's Daily on December 26.

After completion, the subway will not only offer convenience to passengers for changing trains between the two big railway stations in Beijing, but relieve pressure on ground traffic in the central urban area of the capital.

It is leaned that the non-stop subway line linking the two stations will be 9.16 kilometers long with design speed of 90 kilometers per hour. The line will be a double track electric railway. The subway includes a 7.23 kilometer-long tunnel, crossing through the Xi Chongwenmen Street, Xuanwumen Street and Lianhuachi Donglu.

Currently, several million passengers change trains between the two railway stations. After the underground connection, the train-changing travelers will go underground. The surface traffic jam, especially in the area of the Qiansanmen Street, the main street running east-west in front of Tian'anmen, will be relieved evidently.

About 2.3 billion yuan will be invested in the subway construction, according to an official with the Beijing Railway Administration. The project will be completed and operational in 2007.

By People's Daily Online