Beijing's Dongsishitiao Station to Close for Construction of Line 3

Dongsishitiao Station (Line 2) will be closed from Nov 25 for 95 days in order to allow for construction on the as of yet to be opened Line 3, according to Beijing Daily. Passengers who regularly make use of Dongsishitiao Station are advised to alter their daily commutes for the time being until the station is reopened.

Making a path for a transfer from Line 2 to Line 3 at the station should make for an easy task, as the means for a transfer were put into place way back in the '70s.

Plans for a Line 3 have always been in the making since the Beijing Subway went into operation in 1971 (way back when it was just one line). This is why Dongsishitiao has two sets of stairways beneath the station's clock, closed to the public and seemingly leading nowhere. The stairs were added in anticipation of a Line 3 transfer, but the line is still yet to materialize.

This could be changing soon, though, as the Beijing Daily report suggests the closure of Dongsishitiao is to begin linking Line 2 to Line 3. The station's existing Line 3 platform no longer fulfills the newer operational requirements, necessitating a rebuild and renovation during Dongsishitiao's closure. The station's future layout is envisioned as follows: Line 2's platform will occupy the top layer, while the revamped platform for Line 3 will serve as the station hall level.

Right now, the platform set aside for Line 3 is completely sealed off. According to an earlier announcement from the Beijing Subway, the first phase of Metro Line 3 will stretch from Dongsishitiao in the west to Dongba area in the east, covering an underground distance of about 15.6 kilometers and including ten stations.

The exact date of Subway Line 3's grand opening is still up in the air, but the fact that Dongsishitiao station is closing suggests that things are moving forward.

In other subway news, Beijing Daily says the northern section of Subway Line 17 is currently in its testing phase, with plans to open by the end of the year. Covering a distance of 26.3 kilometers and connecting ten stations across Chaoyang district, Line 17 is set to be a game-changer for rail transit, connecting major residential areas like Taiyanggong and Wangjing West.

READ: Scitech More's Reopening on Dec 2: A New Culinary Paradise 

Images: Beijing Daily, RED