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Beijing Metro and Trolleybus Overhead Map, 1983

As with other maps, I have reproduced this "as drawn," without attempting to add updates or corrections (see below; 十里堡 should be Shílĭpù; thank you to "tonyluan1990" for reminding me of this).

 

Details of railways - in particular, the three railway connections with the metro (subway) system - appeared on a topographic map of Beijing, in English. This was published by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It was one of the most popular items in the collection of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Map Library.

 

Notes:

 

The first tramway system in Beijing was opened on 1899 June 24. It was closed in 1900, during the 义和团运动, Yìhé tuán yùndòng ("Boxer Uprising").

 

The second tramway system was opened on 1924 December 17. It was closed on 1966 May 6.

 

The trolleybus system was opened on 1957 February 26.

 

Today, the Beijng metro operator uses the English-language title "Beijing Subway." There are now 17 lines, with a total system length of 465 km. Expansion to 1,050 km of line is planned by 2020.

 

Annual passenger traffic was 3,209 thousand million (at 2013), second only Seoul among the world's metro systems.

 

The "metro" system will include a surface tramway line. This, the 北京地铁西郊线, Běijīng dìtiě xijiāo xiàn, Beijing Subway, Western Suburban Line, will extend from 巴沟, Bagōu, via the 颐和园, Yíhé Yuán, Summer Palace to the 香山公园, Xiāngshān Gōngyuán, Fragrant Hills Park. This will extend 9.4 km and is planned for opening at the end of 2015.

 

The Beijing Suburban Railway (北京市郊铁路, Běijīng shìjiāo tiělù) is planned as a system of seven suburban railway lines, designated as lines S1 - S7. The first segment, Line S2 (S2线, S Èr Xiàn) extends 77.1 km km from Beijing North station (北京北站, Běijīng běizhàn) to, 八达岭, and 延庆, Yánqìng. Expansion plans outline a system length of about 550 km by 2020.

 

(I note that Beijing North station was named Xizhimen station (西直门站, Xīzhímén Zhàn) in 1983. I traveled to the Great Wall at Bādálǐng by train, which was then worked by steam locomotives.)

 

UPDATE: At the end of 2021, the Beijing metro had 25 lines extending 783 km (487 mi), serving 463 stations.

 

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Uploaded on May 22, 2012
Taken in May 1984