北京轨道交通路网中一条重要的南北干线——地铁5号线7日正式开通试运营。至此，北京轨道交通运营总里程达到142公里，运营车站达到93座。北京正阔步迈向一个“地铁时代”。

A woman and her son take a photo before boarding the new subway line - Line 5 in Beijing on October 7, 2007.[Xinhua]

Beijing's hard-pressed commuters should count themselves blessed, for they are about to receive that rarest of boons: more transport for less money.

Even as Beijing opens its new 27.6km No. 5 mass transit line on Sunday, the price of tickets for the expanded underground network is being slashed to a flat fare of RMB2, less than half the previous maximum fare.

The opening of the RMB12b (US$1.6b) line and the ticket price-cut highlight Beijing's re-embrace of public transport as the way to ensure the fast-expanding city can function effectively.

"The launch of the No. 5 subway line indicates that Beijing's rail transport is on a track of fast development," says Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal.

"It is of great significance for the city to ease traffic pressure, provide easier transport for the public, speed up construction of Olympic infrastructure, and ensure a high-level Olympic Games," he said.

Equipped with a wireless communication network, live broadcasts will be provided on televisions installed in the subway car and passengers will never lose the signal on their mobile phones.

The subway cars are wider and taller than the ones operating on the older lines and are designed to reach speeds of 80 km per hour. Elevators designed to aid disabled people have been installed.

Over the next decade or so, 15 cities are expected to spend RMB620b to build 1,700km of underground lines and urban light railways. More than 20 other cities are also seeking permission to build lines.

Beijing is leading the way, with plans to have 561km of subway line in operation by 2015 – well above the London Underground’s 408km.

While Beijing favors Chinese suppliers, the subway surge is a big opportunity for global transit systems producers such as Germany's Siemens, France’s Alstom and Bombardier, the Canadian company responsible for a light rail link to the capital's airport that will open next year.

(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

flat fare：单一票制

（英语点津 Celene 编辑）